The Trust Project
by ATPD
Summary: As a part of a new program in the military, Ed is forced to team up with Mustang and another State Alchemist and go on a mission to inspect a gold mine. But after an ominous warning from Mustang, will Ed have to be more careful than one would think? NO PAIRINGS! Some parental!Roy/Ed. T because of swearing and probable violence.
1. Chapter 1

**I just got this idea in my head all of a sudden and just had to write it. Don't know how long it will be, but it will be multi-chapter at least.**

**Knowing myself, I am just going to warn you already that there will probably be some violence later on.**

**I will probably be posting chapters almost on a daily basis, so there won't be long to wait between the chapters, I hope.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter One**

Edward Elric was in the library, reading as usual.

"Brother, you need to answer her…"

"Huh?"

"You need to answer the lady standing behind you."

Ed suddenly jerked back to reality, turning around and startling a black-haired young woman so much that she fell backwards to the ground.

"Oh, sorry!" Ed said.

"M-Mister Elric, Sir, there's a phone call for you," the girl said, standing up shakily.

"Oh, thank you."

The girl gave a little bow, then she ran off.

Ed shrugged and went over to the front desk, giving a little wave to the librarian on shift before he picked up the receiver on the phone. "This is Edward Elric."

"Finally, Fullmetal. Now I want you to report to my office in twenty minutes," Colonel Roy Mustang said.

"What for, Colonel?"

"I'll explain once you are here."

Then he hung up.

Ed went back to his brother, sighing. "Al, I need to report at the office in twenty minutes, I'll be back here after I'm done."

"Okay, good luck, Brother."

"Thanks."

Ed walked over to East City HQ and found his way to the Colonel's office. He said hello to Havoc, who had his usual cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth, before he sighed and kicked open the door.

"Wow, Fullmetal, you're actually two minutes early," Mustang said smugly.

"What did you want me here for?"

"Fuhrer Bradley is gathering all the State Alchemists at Central HQ five days from now. That includes you.

"What, why?"

"They wouldn't say. Anyway, you must show up in the grounds there at 9 AM on Monday, okay?"

"Fine. Is that all?"

"Yes. You're free to go. Just make sure that you are there at the correct time, okay?"

Ed just stood up and left, slamming the door behind him.

* * *

_Five days later…_

Ed kept having people shove him when he was walking to Central HQ. He was going to be there fifteen minutes early, just to spite the bastard Colonel. He was about ready to kill the next person who tried shoving him out of the way. He had slept badly and he hadn't had any breakfast either.

He suddenly felt a hand on his left shoulder.

"And just where are you going, kid? If Mummy or Daddy works here, you have to walk around to the other side of the building," a stern man in his late fifties with short grey hair and a big stomach said.

"I'm supposed to be here!"

"As if, how old are you, kid? Nine?"

"I'm twelve, dammit!"

"Anyway, you shouldn't be here."

"Are you deaf?! I'm supposed to be here!"

"You know what, you insolent little brat, I'm taking you off these grounds right now!"

Ed had heard just one word of that sentence.

"**WHO ARE YOU CALLING LITTLE!**"

And then he clapped his hands and slammed them to the ground, sending a large fist shooting up from the ground behind the man, lifting him up by his legs and letting him hang there, upside-down.

"**DON'T CALL ME "MIDGET" OR "SHORTY" OR "SHRIMP"! I'M A DAMN STATE ALCHEMIST AND I DESERVE SOME RESPECT!**"

"What the hell, kid?! How did you do that?" someone said behind him. Ed had obviously created a bit of a scene, but he didn't care. He should be researching a way to get his brother's body back right now, not being stuck here being looked down upon by strangers.

"It's called alchemy, you should know!" Ed said, turning towards however had spoken. It was an unknown man in his early twenties with brown hair.

"I guess that means you're the new kid, then! Elric, right?"

"Yes." Ed was calming down slightly, finally getting some of his hard-earned recognition.

"Cool! I see why you're causing such an uproar!" The man walked forwards, his hand extended. "Harry Mills, the Green-Leaf Alchemist."

Ed shook his hand.

"YOU DAMN KID! LET ME DOWN NOW!" a voice said furiously behind him.

"Fine." Ed clapped his hands again and let the man fall non too gently back to the ground. He snorted and walked off.

"Who the hell was that?" Ed asked Harry Mills.

"He's from the same district as me, back West. "He's the Moving-Earth Alchemist, Brigadier General Ivan Banks. You should tread lightly around him, he generally sees anyone under forty a waste of space, especially teenagers."

"What's his problem, then?"

"Don't know, really, but he just dislikes them a lot."

"Well at least he knows not to mess with me from now on."

"I wouldn't be so sure, he's got a bit of a reputation… Anyway, I guess you don't really know many here, you did only pass the test about a month ago, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, you can join me at least then."

"Great."

"So, you're stationed in East City, right? Under Colonel Mustang?"

"Yeah, that's right."

"Cool, must be nice to be working under the "Hero of Ishbal."

"He's actually a bit of a bastard."

"You, think so, Fullmetal?" Mustang's voice said from behind him.

Ed swore.

"You should be careful about saying things like that about your commanding officer, it might be taken the wrong way," the Colonel said with a smug look.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever."

"But at least you are on time, that's twice in a row, I think you might have set a personal record."

Ed grunted and started moving through the crowds, Harry following him curiously.

They found a place a few meters from the stage that had been set up in front of the sea of blue (plus red and black in Ed's case.)

"So, when did you join?" Ed asked Harry.

"I only got in about five months ago, so I was really the new kid until you came along."

"Cool."

"So is it true that you can just clap your hands and then perform transmutations?"

"Yeah."

"Wow! I guess you really are a prodigy then!"

The crowd suddenly fell quiet as the Fuhrer suddenly walked up on the stage.

"Hello everyone! I have called you here because of a new program we are going to try out to inspire more unity within the ranks. It is known as the "Trust Project," and if it works well with our State Alchemists, we will introduce it to the rest of the military as well. What is going to happen is that you will all be split into groups of three and the mission you receive, will be done in said group. Now, the trios have been decided randomly, so they are completely fair. I will call you up here in your groups, and you will receive your missions on a document each."

_What the hell? Is he joking?!_

Apparently he wasn't, as he began calling up names, handing out missions.

They had got through a bit more than half of the teams, when Ed recognised his own name.

"Fullmetal Alchemist Edward Elric will be teamed up with… Moving-Earth Alchemist Brigadier General Ivan Banks and … Flame Alchemist Colonel Roy Mustang."

_AH HELL NO!_

Harry put his hand on Ed's shoulder. "Good luck, kid."

"I think I'm gonna need it."

He got a few sympathetic pats from Harry as he walked past him and up to the stage.

The bastard Colonel looked unfazed as ever, but Banks looked absolutely furious.

This wasn't going to be fun at all.

They shook hands up on the stage, and then Fuhrer Bradley handed them the document stating their mission, and so they went of the stage and out of the grounds.

"Why don't you have a uniform, kid?" Banks growled.

"I don't want one."

"If you're going to be in the military, brat, you're going to have to comply to the rules."

"I'm not wearing a stupid uniform!"

"As his commanding officer, I have not required it of him, and so it is his choice, Sir," Mustang said, surprising Ed.

"You really shouldn't be so lax with how you treat your subordinates, Mustang. They'll pick up bad habits and become derelicts just like yourself."

"I find my subordinates treat me just fine, Sir."

"Let's just look at this mission, okay?" Ed said, unrolling the document.

_You are to report at the Leyson gold mines in order to perform an inspection as there have been an unusual amount of gold in circulation in that area. What you must do is find out if rogue alchemists are in the area, illegally transmuting gold._

_You will report at the Leyson military office and state your names and ranks there._

_Your train will leave tomorrow at 10 AM._

_Sign. Fuhrer King Bradley._

_Good luck with the project._

"Then I will see you tomorrow at 9.45," Banks grunted, then he left.

Mustang didn't seem to mind.

"Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow then, Colonel," Ed said, moving to leave.

Mustang put a hand on his shoulder, holding him back. "Wait a minute, Edward."

Since when does he call me by my first name?

Ed turned around curiously.

"Why don't you join me for a cup of tea?"

"What!?"

"We need to discuss something before the mission tomorrow."

"Why, what's so important?"

"It's about Banks."

The way the man was looking at him, silently pleading with him to trust him on this, Ed relented.

"Fine."

Mustang began walking down the pavement, not speaking, and Ed followed, curiosity peaked.

They reached a little café and Mustang went inside, showing Ed to the most private of the small stalls.

A girl in a white dress and a red apron walked up to them, handing each of them a little menu, smiling brightly, before she left the table.

"Have you had any breakfast, Fullmetal?"

"No."

"Then pick something from the menu, it's on me."

"O-okay?"

Ed began studying the menu, deciding upon a chicken sandwich and a stack of waffles, as well as the originally agreed upon cup of tea.

They ordered, Mustang going with an omelette and toast.

"So, Colonel, what's up with this guy?"

"Wait until we've got the food."

"Why?"

"Trust me."

Ed groaned. They made some very strained small talk until the food came.

"So, Colonel, spill," Ed said before taking a large bite of his sandwich.

"You need to be careful around Banks. Very."

"Whatchu mean?" Ed said, chewing.

Mustang began buttering his toast, before he carefully cut up his omelette and put the slices on the toast. "He's not known for caring if a subordinate gets in the way of a criminal. If there are hostages, they usually die. Either that or the criminal loses heart and gives himself up."

He took a few bites. "Back in Ishbal, he made sure to hurt the Ishbalans before he killed them. He's a sadist, and I would say a war criminal too."

"You could have just told me that. There's something more."

"Twenty years ago, his wife and one-year-old son were at home when a group of teenagers broke into their house. The robbery went wrong and the son died when one of the kids panicked when it wouldn't stop crying and hit him with his gun. Two years later the wife hung herself from the ceiling. He has had this idea ever since that that's what teenagers are like."

Mustang took a few more bites.

"There have been stories about kids disappearing from where he lives, but no one can pin it on him, and it could just be someone else entirely."

"So you're saying that he wants to kill me?"

"Not necessarily, I'm saying that you should keep an eye open just in case. I saw what he did in Ishbal, he would plan the way he would make buildings collapse so that it would take hours for the people trapped inside to die. There's something fundamentally wrong with him, Fullmetal."

Ed just nodded. They ate their food in silence for the rest of the time. Then Mustang paid and Ed thanked him for the meal.

"See you tomorrow, Fullmetal, and remember what I told you."

"Sure, Colonel, I will."


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.**

**And thank you so much to the people who have already reviewed, favourited and followed, you guys truly make my day!**

* * *

**Chapter Two**

Roy was slightly anxious about this mission. It would have been fine, if not annoying, if it only wasn't for Banks. Fullmetal he could handle. Banks he could handle. Fullmetal and Banks could turn absolutely disastrous and quite possibly put them all in great danger.

This wasn't good at all.

The kid needed to be on high alert if they were going to get out of this in one piece.

Roy went back to HQ and found the investigations department, where he of course ran into Hughes.

"Hello, Roy! How's it going?! You want to see some pictures of my sweet little Elicia?!"

"Not right now, Hughes."

"Why are you here, then? Wait, is this about the Trust Project? Who were you teamed up with?"

"I want the case files on Brigadier General Ivan Banks."

"So you're with him, are you? Who's the third one then?"

"Fullmetal."

Hughes frowned. "I'll go find them."

After fifteen minutes, Roy was sitting down in Hughes' office with the case files in front of him. Most of them told tales about how Banks had killed innocent civilians in almost every case he had been involved with. There were stories about how he had made earthquakes that levelled entire apartment complexes just to get at one criminal. The total number of casualties were in the hundreds throughout the years. The man should have been court-martialled a long time ago, but his family was rich and influential, and so he had practically been immune. The man had shot hostages, even his own men, if criminals had used them as shields.

The man had no concern about human beings other than himself.

And Roy didn't want his twelve-year-old subordinate anywhere near him.

He would have to look after him for this mission.

He returned to the military hotel he was staying at, sighing and starting to pack his things. It didn't take long, seeing as how he had only arrived in Central yesterday.

He found himself a book and sat down on the couch in his room.

He fell into a troubled sleep until the next morning, having lots of nightmares involving Ishbal, corpses and, though he had forgotten about them when he woke up, Fullmetal lying underneath a pile of rubble screaming in pain.

* * *

"Wow, Colonel, you look like crap," Fullmetal told him next morning at breakfast. They were staying at the same hotel, and the kid passed his table, his little brother clanking behind him.

"Thanks, I'll remember that."

Fullmetal was already gone.

Roy sighed and ate his food in silence.

He ended up walking to the train station, needing to clear his head. He decided it would be better just to show up early instead of pining away at the hotel. He was stiff and his neck and shoulders were aching from sleeping on the couch the whole night. This was not going to be a good trip.

"Hello, Colonel Mustang," Banks said stiffly after Roy had been waiting for about fifteen minutes.

"Hello, Sir." Roy didn't like to show the man any courtesy, but he was a higher-ranking officer, and it seemed to mollify the his temper slightly.

Fullmetal showed up two minutes later.

"You're late, Elric," Banks growled.

"Technically speaking, I'm early as long as the train hasn't left. Which is thirteen minutes from now," the kid said. Roy cursed inwardly.

Banks then slapped Fullmetal's left cheek, making a loud SMACK.

"You will address me properly when you speak to me, you understand?"

"What the hell?!" Fullmetal said, rubbing his cheek.

Banks then curled his fist, bringing it to the kid's cheek again, making him fall backwards. Roy caught him.

"Let me speak to my subordinate, he has only been in the military for a month after all, Sir," Roy said turning Fullmetal around and behind his back.

Banks growled.

"Thank you, Sir."

Roy gripped Fullmetal's left shoulder and led him away from Banks. He then stood in front of the shocked kid, holding both of his shoulders.

"He fucking hit me!"

"Which he is allowed to do as a superior officer. Just call him "Sir" or "General", and it won't happen again."

"You don't hit me though!"

"Just because you're allowed to do something, doesn't mean you should. Although I have to say he seems unusually hostile towards you, did you do anything yesterday?"

"I may have dangled him by his legs with an alchemised hand."

"You what!?"

"It was before I knew who he was and he was trying to force me off the grounds!"

"Fullmetal, you need to be careful around him from now on."

"Fine, Colonel."

They walked back towards Banks, and they stopped in front of him. "I'm sorry, General," Fullmetal said.

Banks just grunted.

Roy wasn't surprised by Banks' actions, although he was still infuriated by it. The man had hit his subordinate.

Also, you shouldn't hit twelve-year-old kids no matter what.

"Let's get on the train, Sir," Roy said.

Another grunt and they were walking towards the train, although Roy kept sure to keep Fullmetal behind him in order to stop the kid from doing anything rash. The less that Banks had against the kid, the better.

Banks sat himself down on a two-seater, which fit Roy perfectly, seeing as how that meant that they wouldn't have to face him for the next two days. Roy then just dragged Fullmetal into another two-seater a few rows from Banks, getting the kid to sit nearest the window. Roy couldn't help but feel that they had probably dodged a bullet with the seating arrangements.

Fullmetal, though, didn't seem too happy with sitting next to him for the following two days. Roy guessed he could live with that, parts of him would rather be anywhere else than here right now. But seeing as how the situation was what it was, he would just going to have to go along with it. He was Fullmetal's commanding officer, which meant that he should look after his subordinate no matter what or how long he had been in the military. After all, it was sort of Roy's fault that the kid even was here in the first place.

"You weren't kidding about Banks, were you?" Fullmetal whispered.

"No, but we won't discuss that here," Roy whispered back.

"Fine."

And so the train ride went on, none of them really knowing what to say to each other. After a few hours, Fullmetal fell asleep. The kid started snoring lightly.

Roy sighed. The train jostled, and the boy was suddenly leaning on Roy's arm instead.

_Do I wake him?_

_**No, that will just make this twenty times more awkward.**_

_So I'm just going to have to play pillow for the next few hours?_

_**Guess so.**_

Roy couldn't help but laugh inwardly at how mortified the kid would be if he was able to take a picture right now. His mouth was slightly open, the left side of his face pressed against Roy's upper arm.

Parts of him were making mental pictures of how it would look if Roy had had a pen right now and just drew a moustache on Fullmetal's face.

And so Roy managed to keep himself amused for about ten minutes.

Then something in the kid's face changed. He started frowning and his hands were going down to where the stump of his leg was. "No, Al, Al! Alphonse!"

_Ah shit, he's having a nightmare._

Roy carefully tried to rouse the kid before he said something that would not be good for Banks to know about. He grabbed his shoulder and began shaking him, but got no response.

Roy turned around, holding both shoulders, shaking him as much as he dared.

_Come on, kid, wake up!_

"No, please, Mom! Mom! Help! Alphonse!"

Roy stopped shaking the kid, and momentarily letting go of his pride, instead hugged him to his chest. He began speaking in a low voice, trying to remind the kid that his brother was still alive. Fullmetal stopped speaking, and was just whimpering slightly for about five minutes. Roy really hoped that nobody was watching them right now.

"What are you doing, Mustang?" Banks asked.

_Damn_.

"He's having a nightmare, Sir," Roy said, turning his head towards the man.

"Then you are being too soft on him. If he is going to be a soldier, he needs to learn to cope on his own. If you want to wake him, then slap him."

"I'm sorry, Sir, but I am not going to hit a twelve-year-old child for having a nightmare."

"Then I'll do it for you if you are too weak for it."

"As his commanding officer I'd rather you didn't, Sir."

"And as your superior, I don't really care about your opinion, Mustang." The brute then just pulled the kid out of Roy's arms, slamming him to the floor before hitting him so hard that he'd probably have a black eye by tomorrow morning.

"Wh-what?" Fullmetal said, confused, his fists raised to protect himself from another attack.

"You were having a nightmare, Elric. I was merely showing your CO here how you wake a brat like yourself up."

There was a flash of anger in the kid's eyes, then they fell upon Mustang and for a brief moment Roy could have sworn that Fullmetal looked like he had been betrayed.

Roy moved to pick the kid up from the ground, but Banks just kicked the kid away from him. "No, Mustang, he needs to learn how things work in the military."

Roy felt an urge to just see what happened if he snapped his gloved fingers in Banks' direction.

Fullmetal got up, before he avoided eye contact with the other officers and sat himself back down next to Mustang, not facing him, however.

Roy cursed the fact that they were the only people in the carriage, otherwise Banks would probably have acted much less harshly.

The man grunted and headed in the direction of the dining car, slamming the door behind him.

Roy turned towards the kid next to him. "Fullmetal? Are you alright?"

He turned his head sharply, glaring at him. Roy felt a sinking feeling in his stomach as he saw that Banks had actually hit him so hard that it had broken some of the skin on his left cheekbone.

"Why the hell did you tell him I was having a nightmare?!"

"He heard you as you were dreaming. I was trying to wake you without making him aware of what was going on. He came over and asked."

Roy wasn't going to say anything about the hug.

Fullmetal just snorted and turned his head towards the window again.

Roy sighed and went into the bathroom. He took out his handkerchief and held it under the cold water, wringing it when it was soaked, before he took a large piece of toilet paper and held it, too under the water.

He went back to his seat, turning towards the kid.

"Come here," he said, holding up the piece of wet toilet paper. The kid stared at him curiously, and Roy began dabbing it at his cheek.

"Hey!" Fullmetal tried to hold him off.

"You're bleeding, I'm just trying to help."

The kid grunted, but let Roy continue to clean away the blood.

Roy gave him the wet handkerchief. "Hold this against your face, it'll probably help reduce the swelling."

Fullmetal did as he was told, and Roy sighed.

_This is going to be a long train ride._

* * *

**Oh, and happy new year, everybody!**


	3. Chapter 3

**HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.**

* * *

**Chapter Three**

Ed was pissed off by Banks. The man had fucking hit him twice now, and if Ed retaliated, he would probably be arrested. This sucked.

And there was something that the Colonel wasn't telling him about that nightmare, and Ed dreaded that it had something to do with the warm arms he had dreamt about holding him at the end.

_Dammit! I'm not just some fucking kid!_

How the hell could Mustang just manage to take this so calmly?

Ed was holding the Colonel's cold handkerchief against his eye, still a bit angry that Banks had been told about the nightmare.

And that man had some hard punches.

The Colonel had been right about him, something was fundamentally wrong with that man. Ed was used to either getting coddled or underestimated, but this man was hating him. Banks seemed to actually want to hurt him, and Ed was understanding the Colonel's warning much better now.

But how the heck was he supposed to work along with Banks for however long this mission was going to last?

Ed was noticing that the handkerchief was getting warm and turned towards Mustang. Ed clapped his hands and removed the blood and the water from it and handed it to him. "Thanks, Colonel."

"You know, you should get some ice on that," Mustang said, taking the handkerchief.

"I don't need it."

"You don't have to be so stubborn, you know. That has to hurt."

Ed knew the Colonel was right, but he wasn't going to let him know that. Besides, it wasn't really that bad. "It's fine."

"Somehow I doubt that, but suit yourself."

And so they went back to sitting in an uncomfortable silence.

Ed was utterly relieved and completely devastated at the same time when they reached Leyson. He was finally free from sitting next to Mustang without having anything to talk about, but the problem was that now he couldn't avoid Banks anymore. Mustang kept trying to place himself between them, trying to slightly diffuse the situation.

"First we need to inform the military office here about our arrival," Banks stated gruffly.

Ed walked beside Mustang while Banks walked ahead of them. Mustang had once again assumed his usual manner of being, and practically ignored Ed. Ed didn't really mind.

They walked inside the building, and judging by the looks Ed got, it seemed that most of the officers either thought Ed to be some sort of witness or some sort of derelict. Ed made sure to just casually make the pocket watch's chain a bit more visible. Soon a woman in her late thirties walked up to him.

"Excuse me, but you wouldn't happen to be Edward Elric, would you?" she asked anxiously.

"Yeah, I am." Ed smiled.

"Would you mind giving my son your autograph? He's really into alchemy and you're kind of like his hero right now. It's his birthday, too, so he would be so excited if I managed to get him your autograph!"

"Sure, du you have a pen and a piece of paper?"

"Yes, thank you so much!"

They walked over to a table with a plant on. She gave him the pen and paper.

"What's his name?"

"It's Paul."

_Happy birthday, Paul! I hope you have a great day today._

_Best wishes,_

_Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist._

"How's that?"

"Oh, that's wonderful! Thank you so much! You're going to absolutely make his day!"

"Great! Have a nice day," he said and returned to Mustang and Banks.

Banks looked like he was about to hit him again. Apparently the little bit of fame Ed had garnered seemed to just further infuriate the man.

"Now that you're done with inflating your ego, Elric, maybe we should return to the actual mission?"

"Yes, General." The words tasted sour in his mouth.

_I don't care how, but I will find a valid excuse to hit you!_

They went over to the reception desk.

"Yes, how may I help you today?" the lady behind the desk asked them.

"We're the three State Alchemists sent here in connection with the Trust Project. We're here to inspect the mines."

"Oh, may I have your names, Sirs?"

"It's Brigadier General Ivan Banks, Colonel Roy Mustang and Edward Elric."

"Thank you. If you would please go to room 235, you will find the office that deals with the mines."

Ed followed the two other alchemists to the specified office, where they met six officers. The one that seemed to be in charge came forwards. He was a man in his forties with slightly greying black hair and matching moustache. "Hello, what can I help you with?"

"We're here to inspect the gold mines. I am the Moving-Earth Alchemist Brigadier General Ivan Banks, joined by the Flame Alchemist Colonel Roy Mustang and the Fullmetal Alchemist Edward Elric."

"Ah, I am Lieutenant Colonel Frederick Moss." He extended his hand towards them each in turn, eyeing Ed slightly curiously. "You mind if I ask how old you are, boy?"

"Twelve, why do you ask?"

"And you're a State Alchemist?"

"Yes."

"How did you pass the exam?!"

"With flying colours."

"That's not- what I meant- " he began sputtering, clearly getting angry with Ed.

"Let me assure you, Fullmetal is a highly capable alchemist and a prodigy," Mustang butted in.

"That may be, but is he really suited for military duties?"

"The Führer himself certainly seems to think so."

The man paled slightly. "Very well, then, Colonel Mustang." He turned around and Ed watched him, slightly annoyed. "Well, if you're going to inspect the mines, you are probably going to need a guide. I'll take you," he said as he picked up a stack of papers before slamming them down on a desk. "You hold the fort, right, Gordon?"

"Yes, Sir," a man in his thirties replied.

They followed Lieutenant Colonel Moss through the town and over to the mines. He kept speaking to Mustang and Banks, acting as though Ed wasn't even there. After a while, his ears tuned out the talk, it was mostly about the mines' history after all. They went inside, which was when Ed noticed something strange on the walls. There were transmutation marks on the wall to the right. Ed kept examining the wall for about thirty seconds before he realised that the other parts of his quarry had left him behind. Figuring that there was nothing left to lose, he clapped his hands and put them against the wall, creating a door in the mine wall. He opened it, and was suddenly facing a whole new set of tunnels.

_That's not suspicious at all…_

He began walking down the tunnel. After about five minutes, he could have sworn he heard voices in front of him. Then he stopped, mouth wide. He ran forwards, eyeing the walls around him. They were practically made of gold. Nuggets of different sizes were sitting inside the walls. Ed studied them, immediately realising that the person who had made this had to be of State Alchemist calibre. That could spell trouble. What was worse though, was that there was a slight difference between the nuggets, meaning that there probably was not one, but two alchemists at work here.

"Oi! Kid, what do you think you're doing here?"

"I think I'm about to arrest you guys unless you have a good explanation!"

"Oh, you think so?!"

Then they began shooting at him.

Ed started running, zigzagging slightly to avoid the bullets, although one did manage to go lodge itself in the upper part of his left arm. Ed cursed as he continued running, gripping his bleeding arm. He finally reached the exit, slamming the door he had transmuted shut behind him. He clapped his hands, transmuting the door back into a wall. Then he ran in the direction the Colonel and the others had gone ten minutes earlier.

When bullets began flying through the air behind him again, Ed cursed. Of course there would be an alchemist with the guys who were chasing him. Otherwise there wouldn't have been any transmutation marks in the first place.

Ed finally spotted the Colonel in front of him. "HEY, COLONEL! I THINK I FOUND THEM!"

Ed felt another bullet graze his right side. He reached the rest of his group, which was when the Colonel snapped his fingers, sending flames at Ed's pursuers. Ed could hear the screams echoing down the tunnel behind him.

Banks and Moss immediately ran to arrest the singed-but-not-dead men. Mustang on the other hand, gripped Ed's automail arm, glancing at the now blood-soaked glove . "Fullmetal! You're injured!"

"I've got a bullet in my arm, of course I'm injured!" Ed said, teeth gritted against the pain.

"Right, let me have a look." Mustang began removing Ed's coat and jacket. He took the sleeves of Ed's coat, ripping them off before tying them around Edward's arm. He then lifted Ed's tank top slightly, getting a look at his side. Apparently it was a bit more than just a graze, it was a rather deep cut in fact. "Okay, Fullmetal, we need to get you to a doctor," Mustang said, pressing the rest of Ed's coat against his side.

The two of them began walking back out, Ed pressing the coat against his side, limping slightly due to the wound. He noticed his head getting fuzzier.

_Damn_.

"Fullmetal? How are you doing?" The Colonel sounded worried.

"I'm just getting a bit woozy, that's all."

* * *

_Ah, shit._

Roy didn't know how long they had left to walk, and the kid was already getting shaky.

"Colonel, I think there's two alchemists, not just one."

"Okay, Fullmetal, just focus on walking right now." This was of course valuable information, but right now they needed to just focus on getting medical attention for the kid.

They reached the end of the mine after five minutes. Two minutes after that, Fullmetal's knees buckled and Roy barely caught him. He placed his left hand under his knees and the right behind his back, lifting him up.

_God, how much does that automail way him down?_

"What the hell, Colonel?!" the kid exclaimed, although with much less ferocity in his voice than Roy would have liked.

_I really can't leave this kid alone for one second on this mission, can I?_

Roy immediately noticed the red stain that was slowly growing on his uniform where Fullmetal's arm was pressed up against his chest.

He needed to find a hospital, and quick.


	4. Chapter 4

**Here we are, chapter four!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.**

**And thank you so much to you readers, followers, favouriters and reviewers!**

* * *

**Chapter** **Four**

Roy was worried as hell by now. He did not know where the nearest hospital was, which meant that their best bet would be the military infirmary, but that was about a fifteen-minute walk away at regular speed. Roy just bit his lip and braced himself for it. Right now the kid was depending on him to save his life. Roy could only guess that the bullet had hit some sort of major artery which would explain the critical blood loss.

"Listen, everything is going to be alright, okay?"

"Of course! I'm not just gonna die after a month because of a couple of bullets!" the kid protested, slurring slightly.

_Many soldiers have died from a lot less…_

Roy shook the thought from his head.

_He's not going to die._

How could Roy have been so stupid not to notice that the kid had gone off on his own? And he just had to find the bad guys right off the bat. Fullmetal had hardly been in the military for a month, and already he had managed to get himself shot. This was a stupid mission in a stupid program, and if he hadn't been so worried with Banks, Roy would have followed the kid and he wouldn't be bleeding to death in his arms right now.

"Colonel?"

"Yes?"

"You think I'm gonna die, don't you?"

Roy looked down at the pale boy that was leaning against his chest.

"No, you're not. Because I won't let you, and that's an order."

"Yes, Sir," the kid said, giving a weak chuckle.

"You die on me, and I'll court-martial you."

"Fine."

Roy and Fullmetal made small talk basically bad-mouthing Banks for the next five minutes.

Then they were there, and the kid was only about sixty per cent conscious. Roy went quickly over to the reception desk, not caring about how much work it had been to carry the kid for the last twenty minutes. "Where's the infirmary?!" he demanded of the confused receptionist.

"Oh! God! Third door on the right, Sir!" she said, pointing to a corridor.

Roy quickly went for the door, kicking it open in a rather Fullmetal-esque way. The doctor on duty quickly rose from his seat. "What's going on here?"

"He's been shot twice, I think the bullet may have hit a major artery or something judging by the amount of blood. It's still lodged in his arm," Roy said quickly, laying the kid down on the examination table the doctor pointed at.

"Polly, call an ambulance!" the doctor shouted at the nurse.

The doctor did what he could to stabilise Fullmetal, and Roy joined the kid in the ambulance.

He had passed out long before they reached the hospital, and he was immediately taken into surgery.

Roy sat in the waiting room for about an hour before a nurse came to him, saying that there was a phone call for him. Roy followed her to where the phone was and he picked up the receiver.

"Colonel Roy Mustang speaking."

"Finally, Mustang. We've been looking for you. Why did you just leave like that?" It was Banks and he was angry.

"Because my subordinate was dying, Sir."

"He seemed alright to me."

"He had been shot twice, Sir. As his commanding officer I felt it was my duty to get him to medical attention as quick as possible."

"Where is he now, then?"

"In surgery, Sir."

"Then I guess you won't come in here for the questioning of the criminals?"

"I'd rather stay here, Sir."

Banks hung up the phone. Roy was relieved. At least he wasn't being ordered back to the military facility. He would of course like to question the people who shot his subordinate, but Roy would rather stay behind here so that the kid didn't wake up in a strange town without any familiar faces after suffering from major blood loss.

Roy went back to the waiting area. He felt quite sickened by the large blood stain that was on the front of his uniform jacket. It made wherever he went smell of iron and only further increased the worry that was building up inside his chest. He threw it off, standing there just in his shirt and uniform trousers. The blood had seeped through to the white fabric of the shirt, but the stain was at least smaller than the one on his uniform. He was pissed off by Banks and the way he had no respect for the lives of his subordinates.

The door opened, and a doctor turned to him. "Colonel Mustang?"

"Yes?"

"Edward Elric is out of surgery and is resting in room 316. He has suffered substantial blood loss and has a small fracture in the upper part of his left arm, as well as the deep cut in his side. He will be fine, but I wouldn't expect him to wake up before sometime tomorrow. You're allowed to visit him if you want to."

"Yes, thank you, doctor."

"Just look after him from now on. He is far too young to have suffered injuries like this, especially with his missing limbs as well."

"I will."

Roy followed the doctor to said room, finding an extremely pale Fullmetal lying deathly still in his bed. He had an IV hooked up to his left arm. Roy pulled a chair over to the side of his bed, sitting down heavily into it. After a few hours he closed his eyes, and fell asleep.

_Roy was running, he didn't know where, he didn't know why, but he had to run. Every muscle in his body was screaming for him to keep running._

_And so he ran._

_He ran and he ran. Past derelict buildings that looked eerily familiar._

_Corpses._

_Corpses everywhere._

_Children, women, men. All of them with wide eyes staring at absolutely nothing._

_He had to get away from them._

_It's not my fault, it's not my fault, IT'S NOT MY FAULT!_

_Or is it?_

_He couldn't remember._

_He just had to run._

_That was all he could do, and so he did._

_Then suddenly a man was standing on top of a hill in front of him._

_A fat, ugly man._

_"What are you running for, Mustang? This is your job after all!"_

_My choice._

_Then the ground crumbled underneath him, and he was falling, falling, falling._

_He was lying on the ground._

_He sat up, he had to run._

_But his foot was trapped under a piece of rubble._

_He turned around. Next to him was a small boy with his blonde hair in a plait._

_He was staring blankly back at him, eyes unseeing._

_They would never see again._

_The small body was broken, bleeding, he had nearly been cut in half by the piece of debris lying on top of him._

_"**He killed me, Colonel**," the boy said, somehow just lifting the rubble right off himself. He stood up right in front of Roy, his insides falling out of the hole in his stomach. "**He killed me.**"_

_Roy couldn't move, he could only watch as the boy came closer, blood dripping. "**He killed me and you let him.**"_

_He sat down on his knees beside Roy. "**You let him kill me. You let me die. YOU LET ME DIE!**"_

_The boy clasped his left hand around Roy's throat. "**I'M DEAD BECAUSE OF YOU! I TRUSTED YOU TO PROTECT ME AND YOU LET HIM KILL ME! LOOK WHAT HE DID TO ME! LOOK, COLONEL!**"_

_But Roy couldn't see, he couldn't breathe, he was dying._

_Or am I already dead?_

_"**YOU LET ME DIE, COLONEL!**"_

Roy woke with a start, Fullmetal's voice still ringing in his ears. He was covered in sweat, breathing heavily.

He looked at the sleeping boy in front of him. That nightmare had been all too realistic. Roy went over to him. He wasn't looking as pale as he had done earlier. Roy was still shaken by that nightmare, and couldn't stop himself from touching a hand against the kid's cheek just to reassure himself that the skin was warm and human, not like the clammy, cold hand that had closed itself around his throat.

The kid shifted slightly from his touch, and Roy moved to retract his hand, but the automail hand suddenly came up and held it fast where it was.

_What the hell do I do now?_

Roy was forced to just stand there for fifteen minutes before the kid's hand released his, and Roy could sit back down in his chair again. He looked at his pocket watch, it was a quarter past eight in the morning.

Fullmetal shifted in his sleep again, then his eyes opened slightly.

"Colonel? What, uh…?"

"Hey, Fullmetal. You got shot yesterday, you remember?" Roy said softly.

"Oh, I did, didn't I?" He studied his arm which was in a sling.

"You've got a fracture in your upper arm, so you should take it easy."

"I do? Well that sucks. Anyway, we need to move to find the other alchemist."

"Fullmetal, you're not going anywhere. You nearly died from blood loss yesterday, and you'll be staying here until the doctors say that you're well enough to leave."

"But what about the guys you torched yesterday? Are you saying that you're leaving it to Banks to question them?"

"The three criminals are being questioned by Banks, yes, but also by Lieutenant Colonel Moss. It will be handled by military professionals, not just Banks."

"But, Colonel! There were four people chasing me at first yesterday!"

"What?" Roy cursed inwardly. "Fullmetal, you need to tell me everything that happened."

Which was when a large spike shot out of the wall, pointed straight at Fullmetal. Roy had reacted instinctively and dragged Fullmetal to the floor half a second before the newly transmuted spike would have impaled the kid's chest.

"Fullmetal, are you okay?" Roy said, holding the boy close to his chest in a protective way.

The kid was yelping with pain, he had landed on the floor with his bad arm first. "Get off! We need to go after him! That came from the next room over!"

Roy was faced with a big dilemma, Fullmetal was hardly in any shape to fight anyone right now, but if Roy left him behind here, he wouldn't be able to protect him. He helped get the kid off the ground, before he slid on his ignition gloves and the pair of them ran out into the hall, the boy grimacing with pain from his side and his arm.

They ran inside the next room, but it was empty. There were, however, clear traces of the recent transmutation.

There was no sign of where the person had run, which meant that Roy was now faced with a new problem. Fullmetal was injured and in no condition to fight.

And someone was after his life before the information he carried reached the military's ears.

* * *

**Oh, and User needs a username, when I didn't use "Major" last chapter, it was deliberate, as being a State Alchemist only makes him the equivalent of a Major, and I therefore felt that Banks would not honour him with using his rank as (in Banks' mind) he didn't actually have one. (Or was worthy of one.) ****Also, I would just like to use this opportunity to personally thank you for all your support and wonderful reviews that have been exceptionally inspiring for these last few weeks, so thank you very much!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Here we are, chapter five!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.**

**And thank you so much to the readers, followers, reviewers and the favouriters!**

* * *

**Chapter Five**

What the hell was Roy supposed to do now? The kid wasn't well enough to leave the hospital yet, but if he stayed here, he would be a sitting duck. What was worse, if they went to the military for help, Banks would probably want to use Fullmetal as bait, which was more or less a death sentence.

_Damn._

This meant that they couldn't really trust anyone anymore. He should have had his team with him. Hawkeye would probably already have shot the other alchemist already. They needed to move, and quickly.

"Hey, Fullmetal? We need to get you out of here."

"Didn't you just tell me that I had to stay?"

"Yes, and then the remaining alchemist tried to kill you."

"So where are we going then? Back to the military facility?"

"We can't take you to Banks, he is just going to use you as bait."

"How would that be a bad idea?"

"Because he wouldn't mind killing you to get at the criminal."

"Oh, so where do we go?"

"I don't know right now. Let's just get you somewhere moderately safe for the moment."

"Can we go somewhere with food?"

The kid's stomach made a loud growl as if to show its support.

"Fine. A café might actually work as a hideout."

They went back to the room, Roy had to help the kid change into his trousers, which made Fullmetal blush and Roy thankful that the kid was wearing a pair of boxers. Then came the socks and the leather boots. Roy then threw his large black coat over Fullmetal's shoulders, making him look very much like a kid playing in his father's wardrobe.

"Wait, Colonel!" Fullmetal said, clapping his hands carefully together and bringing the right one to his shirt, getting rid of the blood. "I can do it to your jacket too if you want?"

Roy was about to take him up on the offer, but then he saw how much paler the transmutation had made the kid. It would take more energy from the kid than they could afford right now. "No, I'm good, Fullmetal."

And so they went through the corridors, running into a confused nurse.

"Oh, but Mister Elric! You shouldn't be out of bed!"

"I'm sorry, but an attempt was just made at my subordinate's life, and he is no longer safe here."

"What do you mean, Sir?"

"Just take a look at the large spike coming out of the wall in room 316 and see for yourself."

They then strode past her, leaving her stuttering before she walked in the direction of Fullmetal's room.

Roy then noticed a wheelchair just standing outside an empty room, and he swiftly grabbed it. "Sit," he ordered.

The kid looked murderously up at him. "I'm not an invalid!"

"No, but you did nearly die of blood loss and you're still pale as hell, so sit."

Fullmetal didn't move.

"You need to preserve what energy you've got, otherwise, we won't be able to trust on your alchemy."

The kid glared at him before he went over and sat down.

Roy had been lying about the alchemy. He doubted Fullmetal was up to any sort of large-scale transmutations at the moment, but he just wanted to make sure that he would be able to move the kid quickly if the situation called for it.

He got him outside without any further interruptions and so they went down the street, hoping to find some sort of café or restaurant.

"Colonel?"

"Yes."

"Do you have any new plans yet?"

"Not at the moment."

"Great."

They came upon a rather fine dining establishment that was most likely some sort of gourmet restaurant.

_Well, if there's one place they're not going to look for us…_

Roy pushed the wheelchair inside and they were met by a very stiff-looking waiter.

"We'd like a table for two," Roy said.

"I'm sorry, Sir, but we have a very strict dress-code at this establishment…"

"And we are both State Alchemists, and this boy has a broken arm hindering him from wearing fancy clothes at the moment." Roy held up his pocket watch, as did Fullmetal. He had said the thing about the arm to hopefully spark some empathy within the man, although Fullmetal didn't seem to be too happy.

"Ah, yes! Then I guess we can make an exception for you gentlemen, if you would please follow me…"

_Sometimes reporting straight back to the country's Führer has its advantages..._

The waiter showed them to a secluded corner that would both shield their faces and their clothes, and Roy didn't complain. Fullmetal rose from his wheelchair and seated himself in the couch instead.

The waiter returned, handing out a menu for each of them, eyes lingering on Fullmetal's hospital shirt, but didn't say anything about it. "Here you have the breakfast menu, we have quite a few choices for you to pick from, gentlemen."

"Thank you," Roy said, used to these sorts of places.

Fullmetal eyed the menu slightly sceptically. "How the hell is this considered breakfast?"

"I guess it's slightly fancier than what you're used to."

"No shit, Colonel. I'm from a small town out in the country!"

Roy was actually slightly impressed that this town even had a place like this, which probably meant that there had been quite a lot of illegal gold in circulation for a while now.

They went back to studying the menu, ending up with a rather safe option for the kid with just a large plate of what Roy ended up describing as "mini-sandwiches cut in round shapes with some pretty good different tastes." It was served with scrambled eggs and a salad, and was usually to be split between three people, but judging from how much the kid would usually eat, he figured it would be the best option. They also ordered a mug of homemade lemonade.

"Any plans yet, Colonel?" the kid said between bites.

"Not yet."

Roy had no idea where they were supposed to go. Right now he was just glad to be able to sit down somewhere and eat something. He hadn't eaten anything since yesterday morning, and that had only been a train sandwich. This was something entirely different. The kid seemed to be enjoying the food too.

He couldn't go to the military for help, because then Banks would most likely end up getting Fullmetal killed. At the same time, Fullmetal needed protection, and Roy would rather be backed up by a couple of armed guards in case something should happen to incapacitate him.

_Damn it! I need Hawkeye here, now!_

That was it.

Why didn't he just bring Hawkeye over here? He needed backup and he couldn't go to the local military officers without endangering a State Alchemist, because it would bring the kid out into the open. Also, Roy guessed he was a target himself by now, too.

"Fullmetal, I have an idea, I'm going to bring Hawkeye over here."

"Why?"

"Because I want backup if we're going to draw out the alchemist."

The next time the waiter came over to them, Roy asked him where he could find an inn or a B&B. Going to the military hotel they had been planning on, seemed like a rather bad idea. Roy thanked the man when he told him, and as they left, he tipped him heavily.

They went out into the street. "Fullmetal, give me your pocket watch."

"Why?"

"We need to stay invisible for at least three days. We're going to check in at a Bed & Breakfast, and that means you're not going to be a military officer."

"Then what am I?"

"My nephew."

"What!?"

"It's the best explanation when we have the age difference and the fact that we look nothing alike."

"Are you actually serious?!"

"Fullmetal, do you want to stay alive or not?"

"Yes, but-"

"Then it's decided. You'll be William and I'll be your uncle John."

"Why William?"

"It's the first name that popped into my head. Our surname will be Roberts."

"You're used to this sort of thing, aren't you?"

"Long training."

"Then we're going to have to do something about your uniform."

"If you're planning on making something ridiculous like the thing you are wearing…"

"There's nothing wrong with my clothes!"

Roy stood beside the boy, and he looked thoughtful for a moment, then he clapped his hands and Roy was suddenly wearing a pair of rather regular looking blue trousers that were far less conspicuous. The extra material that the kid didn't use, he lifted into his lap. "Colonel, help me get this thing off, will you?" He was pointing towards his sling and hospital shirt. Roy helped him so that he was bare-chested for a second before he gingerly clapped his hands together and transmuted the rests of Roy's uniform together with the hospital shirt, turning them into a blue hoodie. Roy helped him slide his arms into the garment, trying not to hurt the kid's arm more than necessary. He then helped him put on the sling again. He was rather amazed at the fact that Fullmetal hadn't cried out once during this. That arm must be throbbing with pain. The kid then stood up, handing Roy's coat to him. His knees buckled under him, his face was pale as hell. Roy caught him, holding him by the right shoulder and his back.

"Fullmetal, you don't have enough energy for this right now."

"You may be right actually." He was breathing heavily.

Roy put him back into the wheelchair and pushed it for about an hour until they came to a small Bed&Breakfast with a sign that had flowers painted on. He could practically feel the scowl pulsating from the boy in front of him. Roy had chosen this place because of its reputation. There were hardly anyone who knew about it, and it was far away from town. He knocked upon the door. A woman in her fifties smiled brightly at him.

"Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Do you happen to have a room with two beds? Me and my nephew are taking a little holiday and he's such a geology geek."

"Oh, yes, of course! Come in, come in, although this isn't the most wheelchair friendly place to live?"

"It's okay, he just got out of the hospital and it was only for the journey. We couldn't just cancel the vacation, he'd been looking so much forward to it," Roy said, giving her one of his most charming smiles.

"Oh, yes, of course. So what's your name then?"

"It's John Roberts and this is William."

"How nice! Well, do you know how long you'll be staying?"

"A week."

"That's lovely, Sir!"

"Oh, and by the way, you wouldn't happen to have a phone, would you?"

"Yes, it's in the kitchen. You can use it as much as you want, Mr. Roberts."

"Great, I was hoping to call my girlfriend and maybe convince her to join us."

"How nice! Well, I'll go prepare your room, you can just use the phone if you want to."

"Thank you."

The woman hummed as she went up the stairs, and Roy quickly went into the kitchen on the left. He picked up the phone and gave his code as quietly as he dared, and was soon connected to his office. He brightened just from hearing Hawkeye's voice, knowing that things would be much easier once she came and he finally had his bodyguard back.

He tapped the phone twice, and could hear the change in manner.

"Hello, Elizabeth! Long time no see! We're all good here, Lucy was completely right, we just had to see this town!"

"How, good to hear!"

"Oh, and by the way, how's Robin doing, is he still together with Iris?"

"No, unfortunately not, but at least he has his dog, you know."

"Ah, yes, Charlie, wasn't it? The one he bought from Hank Upkins, right?"

"Yes, you know, you are really getting good with names."

"Well, Robin does make quite an impression on anyone! I remember when he was together with Tiffany, it was after her that he bought Charlie, right?"

"You impress me, darling! Is this just another way for you to flirt with me?"

"Maybe, but you know what our dear friend Anne Norton says? It never hurts to try!"

Hawkeye laughed. "You are quite impossible sometimes, dear!"

"Yes, me and Neville Orson. Although Tommy Greys is a rather hopeless one too!"

"Well you're right about that!"

"And please do tell Oliver and Tracy thank you from me on the tip about this place! Oliver really knew what he was talking about when he told me about this town!"

"I will, but have you heard what happened to his mother?"

"No, is Marjorie hurt?"

"She had a bad fall, broke her leg, you know."

"That's so bad, Isaac must be having a hard time looking after her. I guess Lucy's giving him some help?"

"Yes, she's being so helpful to them."

"Isaac must so grateful. Tracy never was one for caring for someone in that way."

"No, unfortunately not. She's rather hopeless with that sort of thing."

"You know who she reminds me of? Old Albert Reginald Yorke."

"The old schoolmaster? You know what, you're right!"

"You know how Ned and me are! Always finding such comparisons! But Elizabeth, to something entirely else. Would you mind coming over here to visit us?"

"Oh, I don't know, darling."

"Oh, please, Elizabeth! You know you want to! Can't you come over after your appointment with Diana? Billy would be so happy to see you again!"

"That may be, but I have to go to work, you know…"

"Oh, old Agnes Campbell owes you a holiday by now!"

"Maybe in a few days, then."

"How great, we're looking forward to it! And do say hello to Kevin, Una and Percy for me, while I remember it!" Roy tapped his finger loudly against the phone again, his message delivered.

"I will!"

"Thank you dear! I hope to see you soon then! We're staying at this frightfully cozy inn, you're going to love it! But I think I have to return to Billy now, see you soon, dear!"

"Goodbye!"


	6. Chapter 6

**Here we go, chapter six!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.**

**And huge thanks to everyone who is reading, favouriting, following and reviewing this story!**

* * *

**Chapter** **Six**

Riza put down the phone. She picked up the piece of paper she had been writing down the names on, and began piecing them together. After a minute, she was left with a message scrawled on the paper.

ELRIC HURT CANNOT GO TO MILITARY NEED BACKUP

She immediately cleaned up the desk before she went to the train station, buying the next ticket for Leyson, which left at eight that evening. The Colonel had told her about the mission and the worries surrounding working with Banks, and she had to say that she was getting worried about Edward. Just how hurt was he?

* * *

Ed was smirking, having understood the code quite early on, and was just waiting for Mustang to return. The man had left him in the hallway, and Ed had already removed his boots before the Colonel would get the chance to help him again. The cut in his side was aching a lot, but Ed didn't care. This was just embarrassing. This whole mission was embarrassing. He'd be damned if he couldn't even take off his own shoes!

And so he had removed them, noticing the way that the ground felt like it was slightly falling under him, cursing those bastards from the mine. He wasn't going to risk walking into the living room though, he didn't want to fall to the floor in front of the Colonel.

He could hear footsteps approaching from down the hall and soon Mustang came through the kitchen door. "What are you smirking at?"

"Just the way that your conversation was very enlightening…"

The man studied him, trying to see if Ed had really figured it out.

"You understood it?"

"Of course. I'm an alchemist after all." Ed gave Mustang a look that said "You think I don't know how to read codes?"

The Colonel sighed, "Of course, well, do you want me to take you to the living room?"

"Yes."

Mustang went over to him, supporting him by gripping his right shoulder and left side, obviously accepting the fact that Ed was not just going to sit there as the man wheeled him about any more than necessary. They made their way slowly into the living room, Ed's legs were annoyingly wobbly. He was angry that two such small transmutations had taken so much out of him.

_This sucks._

He plumped down into the couch, grunting slightly. The Colonel sat down in the chair opposite him.

The lady returned, clapping her hands together as she entered the room. "Well, your room is ready you two! And I do believe I forgot to present myself! It's Sophie Bell."

"It's a pleasure, and may I say what a charming house this is?" Mustang said and Ed could hear the way he was trying to charm the old lady.

"Well, thank you Mr. Roberts!"

Ed wasn't really impressed by the décor, the walls were light pink with a flower pattern, there were way too many flowers in general in the room, and there were small figurines with red-cheeked plump children on almost every shelf.

This lady was clearly too sweet for this to be a bearable week.

"Did you have any luck in convincing your girlfriend to come?" Miss Bell asked.

"Yes, she'll be joining us in a few days."

"How lovely! It's been a long time since I have had guests, so this is going to be properly fun!"

Ed suddenly heard chirping. "What's that?"

"It's only Kurt! He's my budgie, you can see him up there on the curtain!"

Ed followed her finger, and sure enough, there he was. He flew over to a shelf, basking in the sunlight shining in from the window, his blue-green plumage fully visible.

"I hope you don't have any problem with him? He really is such a lovely guy, he's so sociable!"

Ed could have sworn he saw Mustang's hand twitch slightly, but he still kept his charming smile. "Off course not."

"How lovely! You hear that, Kurt? We're going to have some nice guests for the next week!"

Ed wasn't sure if the bird answered her, or if it just reacted to the sound of her voice.

Either way, he knew that that chirp was going to get exceptionally annoying within the next few minutes.

"Oh, and by the way, Mr. Roberts, I do offer dinner here for the guests if you're willing to pay a small fee. It's cheaper than the restaurants and I can guarantee you that it's home-cooked."

"That sounds like a very fine offer, we would love to take you up on it."

The woman clapped her hands together again, smiling widely at the pair of them. "That's wonderful! Oh, and by the way, dear, you're free to peruse the bookshelves if you want to," she said to Edward.

"Thank you."

For some reason Kurt answered him.

The woman left the room, and Mustang stood up, walking over to the bookshelves. "Do you want me to find you something to read?"

"Yes, anything that has to do with science if you can find it."

Kurt chirped again.

After a few minutes, the man put a tome in his lap. "A Deep Look Into Natural Sciences Through The Ages" it read. It had to be at least two thousand pages long.

Ed smiled.

He flipped the book open with his right hand, reading quickly through the pages, absorbing the information hungrily. Most of this he already knew of course, but he found the phrasing interesting enough at least.

He sat there for about an hour, then he noticed an odd sound. He turned his head to the left, noticing that Mustang was giggling.

Then something stung in the back of his head.

"What the heck?! Is that the bird?!"

The bird chirped somewhere around his plait.

"It is."

"Well, get it the hell off!"

Kurt chirped again.

Then he jumped on top of Ed's head.

Ed felt a vein twitching in his temple. He wasn't going to risk hurting the thing with his automail hand, so he was really reliant on Mustang if he didn't want to make a fool of himself by shaking the bird off.

Mustang began laughing, putting his hand in front of his mouth to stop the noise.

"Get it off me!"

Kurt answered him again.

The Colonel just sat there laughing.

_Screw it._

Ed shook his head violently and the bird took off. Ed had to steady himself by putting his hand on the armrest beside him. "I'm going upstairs instead."

The bird chirped as if to demonstrate his point.

"Would you like some help?"

"No, I'll be fine. You see?" Ed stood up, standing impressively steady.

The bird talked again.

Ed walked over to the staircase, noticing the way the floor went up and down beneath his feet, and his head felt like it was filled with water. Ed wasn't going to let it stop him though. He was fine to do things on his own. He was the youngest State Alchemist in history! He was not going to be defeated by a damn staircase!

He walked a few steps, his feet getting heavier and heavier, but he kept on climbing the staircase. There were only eight steps left. Four more and he was clinging to the railing with his automail hand. Then he was finally on top of the staircase, and his knees buckled.

He fell backwards, prepared for the inevitable crash that would come as he hit the stairs, but it never did.

Instead a pair of strong arms caught him, and his head hit the Colonel's chest. His left arm screamed in pain.

"Had a feeling that that was going to happen."

"Oh, don't rub it in," Ed said weakly. Everything was spinning and he was fighting hard against the black spots appearing at the corners of his eyes.

_Damn it._

Mustang lifted him up and Ed was to dizzy to really fight him right now, though he did slap his automail arm weakly against his chest. "Get off," he mumbled.

"We don't really need you to fall down the stairs now, do we?"

"Shut up."

Ed was soon inside their room, and Mustang put him down on the bed. Ed fell asleep almost instantly.

Ed wasn't exactly sure when he woke up, but it was dark outside at least. He sat up in the bed, trying to see if the other bed was occupied. It wasn't.

_So it's not night._

Ed stood up, limping over to the door. He was glad to see that he wasn't dizzy any longer and he went downstairs into the living room to find nobody there. He therefore went to the kitchen and found Mustang and Miss. Bell having dinner.

"Ah, Billy! Good to see you're up!" Mustang said, smiling. Ed was slightly creeped out by how uncle-ishly happy he seemed to be.

"How long was I out?"

"Since yesterday around noon. Your uncle told me to just let you sleep. I understand why, you look much better now, dear! Just sit down and join us if you want," Miss Bell said, smiling warmly at him.

"Since yesterday?"

"Yes. I thought that if you were up for it tomorrow, we could go to the mining museum?"

Ed remembered their cover story and immediately broke into a fake smile. "Sounds great, Uncle John!"

And so Ed joined them, figuring that "the museum" was code for "looking for Hawkeye at the train station."

Ed went up to his bed after they had eaten, bringing the book from yesterday upstairs with him, avoiding Kurt at all costs.

He didn't know how long he had been reading for when he put the book back down, having finished it. He had certainly not noticed that Mustang had come into the room and was sitting in the other bed with his own book on his lap.

Ed got out of his bed, going downstairs to find another book to read.

He walked over to the bookshelf, leaning down when he suddenly saw the glint of a knife reflected in the windows of the glass cupboard next to him. He immediately ducked, turning around sharply to find Miss Bell staring at him, another knife in her hand.

"I got a funny phone call from my son, apparently he's looking for a couple of military dogs wanting to take away this town's wealth. They sounded very much like you and your "uncle.""

She threw another knife at him, although he dodged it easily.

"Listen, I don't know what you're talking about!"

"You sure? Because you don't really seem to be afraid when someone throws a knife at you." She didn't have anything left of her jolly nature.

Ed figured that he wasn't going to convince this lady anymore, so instead he clapped his hands together, but before he got to bring his right one to the ground, a bunch of spikes shot out of the stone floor beneath him, and Ed jumped away at the last second.

"Alchemy runs in the family, you know!" Sophie shouted, and Ed finally got to slamming his fist to the floor, sending a stone fist straight at her.

The lady moved quickly, ducking and bringing her hands to the floor again, making a set of spikes shoot out of the floor straight at Edward.

Ed avoided them and ran at the glaring woman. He jumped up into the air before he brought his fist straight into her face, knocking her out cold.

"Colonel, you get the hell down here and then we're leaving this place!" he shouted, cringing because of the sharp pain in his right side. His hoodie was soaked through with blood where Ed had got the cut the other day.

_But first we need to change these bandages…_

* * *

**Oh, and user needs a username, I really hope you get the sharpie marks off quickly, although you made my day with that review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Here we are, chapter seven! From this point on, the story will pick up its pace slightly, so I hope you'll all enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.**

**And thank you so much to every reader, reviewer, follower and favouriter!**

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

Roy was getting slightly annoyed with Fullmetal's impatience. Roy was actually doing him a favour here as he stitched up the kid. He had already removed the torn stitches, and he was sitting there, trying to ignore the way the child in front of him couldn't stop himself from wincing as Roy repeatedly pushed the needle through the kid's flesh. Roy had done this plenty of times before during missions and in Ishbal and actually prided himself a bit on his steady hand. The fact that he was able to help his subordinates in this way, was something he saw as a very practical ability. But it didn't change the fact that the person in front of him was in fact not a soldier, but a twelve-year-old child. A twelve-year-old child that should have been crying, yelping, whimpering, something more than just wincing and grunting slightly like a hardened veteran.

But that was all Fullmetal did.

Roy was of course annoyed with himself too. He had managed to sleep as the kid had been attacked downstairs. He couldn't help but feel that he had failed him somehow.

**_"You let me die, Colonel!"_**

The nightmare echoed through his head, Fullmetal's voice so strong and anguished…

"Something wrong?" the kid asked.

"No, just thinking."

"About what?"

"None of your business."

"Aha, friendly." He grunted as the needle pierced just a bit more flesh than usual as Roy's hand accidentally twitched a bit.

"We're halfway there. You think you can hold it out for the rest of them?" Roy said, teasing the boy.

"What do you take me for? I'm not just a little kid!"

"Just checking…"

"Bastard…"

Roy almost made a short comment, but stopped himself, seeing as how the kid would risk ripping up his stitches if Roy upset him right now.

_And then we'd be back to square one…_

Roy worked as fast as he dared while still doing a good job. He was impressed by Fullmetal, it was at least fifteen stitches. When he was finally done, his hands were soaked with the kid's blood, and Roy went to the kitchen to wash his hands. He cleaned Fullmetal up as well, and they were soon good to go. Roy risked not bringing the wheelchair in order to seem less conspicuous, as the kid really seemed a lot better after sleeping for about thirty hours straight.

And so they left the house, Roy was now wearing his ignition gloves and Fullmetal had his hands at the ready to clap, his automail arm slightly bent in order to make the distance to his left arm shorter where it hung in its sling.

"Where do we go now?" Fullmetal asked.

"We need somewhere new to hide out until Hawkeye arrives."

"And where would that be?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out."

"So you're useless right now."

Roy felt a vein twitch at his temple.

"We need to hide soon though, we don't know when the alchemist will be coming."

"I know, Fullmetal."

"So that's your name, then?" a third voice said somewhere behind them.

Roy reacted immediately, turning around, fingers snapping to send his flames straight at the man.

And they hit a stone wall.

Suddenly the ground beneath Roy opened up, and he fell into a three metre deep pit.

"Colonel!" Fullmetal shouted.

Roy landed hard onto the stone, knocking the wind out of him.

_Shit_.

"Take it easy, kid! I just want to talk right now," the other man said.

"As if! You tried to kill me! Twice!"

Roy hated that the pit was so narrow, he couldn't see anything but darkness right now, and his subordinate was in danger.

Roy heard the click of a gun. "Will you listen to me now? If you move, I'll shoot both you and your CO, and you don't really want that, right?"

"What the hell do you want?!"

"I talked to my Ma after you left her tied up back at the house. Apparently you can just clap your hands and perform alchemy. That's pretty neat, kid."

"Why is that so interesting?"

"Just think about the amount of gold we could produce if you joined us! And you are probably able to make perfect gold without any traces of the transmutation! You have to be skilled enough to do that, right?"

"Not gonna happen!"

"I'm not really giving you a choice, kid. You don't really know a lot about what pain can do to someone, now do you?"

"Are you a complete idiot?! Have you seen my arm?!" Roy heard a low clanking and guessed that the kid was probably waving his right hand.

"So you do know, that saves us a lot of time of explanations. But I really don't like you calling me an idiot, you know…"

Suddenly there was a bang and pain exploded from Roy's left thigh. He let out a yell before he could stop himself.

"Colonel!"

"It's only my leg, I'll be fine, Fullmetal!" Roy shouted, trying to keep the pained strain out of his voice as he said it.

"Here's the deal, you two: you come with me, kid, and I'll throw him a blanket. Colonel, you throw me those gloves of yours, and I'll get you a flashlight and a first aid kit. That way everyone lives and we all get something that we want."

"Don't you dare accept, Fullmetal!"

"Shut up, Colonel, or I'll shoot you again."

"You have ten seconds kid. Decide. Ten. Nine."

"What happens if we don't do as you want?" Roy asked, pressing his shirt against the wound, already noticing the cold biting into the bare skin of his arms.

"I kill you both right now. Five."

"You bastard!" Fullmetal shouted.

"That's not very nice. Three."

Damn you!

"Two"

Roy took a deep breath.

"One."

"FINE!" they both shouted.

"Good. Colonel, you first."

Roy took off his gloves, throwing them out of the hole.

"Great! Now, get over here kid, and keep your hands far apart. Good. Now, nightie-nightie!"

Roy heard a smack and the sound of someone falling to the ground. "FULLMETAL!"

"Sorry, Colonel, but he's out cold. I'll get you what I promised right away."

Roy sat there in his pit, cursing silently for the next five minutes straight, until the man threw down a heavy woollen blanket and the promised first aid kit and flashlight.

"I suspect someone will have noticed this hole by the morning, so unless you freeze to death during the night, you'll be rescued within the next ten hours."

Roy cursed again and the man laughed.

"I swear I will burn you if you hurt my subordinate!"

"That's really up to how helpful the kid decides to be, you know."

"YOU BASTARD!"

The man left as he continued laughing.

Roy found the flashlight and immediately assessed the damage to his leg. It was bleeding a lot. Enough to make a transmutation circle with. Enough, also, to kill him within the next twenty minutes if left untreated.

Roy set to work and was done within ten minutes. He had come dangerously close to passing out from the pain several times.

He drew a transmutation circle on the wall to his left, transmuting a set of stairs leading out of the pit.

He managed to crawl slowly out, the woollen blanket resting on his shoulders. He was already freezing and it was a cold November night.

He cursed the alchemist and he cursed the fact that he had Fullmetal and Roy was left here, useless. The kid had let himself get taken because of Roy.

**_"You let me die, Colonel!"_**

Once again Fullmetal's voice rang through his ears.

_Stop it! You can't allow yourself to think like that!_

He got up standing shakily, but standing all the same. He started limping in the direction of the mines. He lasted for about fifteen minutes, and then he fell to the ground, not able to walk anymore. He welcomed the warm embrace of sleep, he swore he could even hear Hawkeye's soothing voice.

"Sir! Colonel! Don't sleep!"

_Wait, that **is** Hawkeye!_

And he could swear someone had turned him over on his back…

"Lieutenant?"

"Sir! Where is Edward?"

_Edward… Edward… Fullmetal!_

Roy suddenly opened his eyes, adrenaline pulsing through his veins.

"The alchemist took him. We have to save him!"

"Colonel, we need to get you to a hospital!"

"No, Fullmetal's in danger, I won't let that man torture a kid!"

"Listen, Sir. You're in no shape to fight right now! I'll go in, you get some rest. You can tell me the rest on the way, just come with me."

Roy let himself get pulled to his feet and he leaned his arm on Hawkeye's shoulders, limping heavily over to a car.

"I'm going to hot wire it, Sir."

She helped Roy get inside, and they were driving in the direction of the hospital within two minutes.

"Okay, Colonel, tell me where I might find him."

"Probably in the gold mines. To the right of the opening of the main one, Fullmetal said he found large amounts of gold in a tunnel hidden by a transmuted wall. We think that's where they hide the illegal gold."

"How much is Edward hurt, Sir, you didn't specify."

"He has a fractured upper arm with a bullet wound as well as a deep cut in his right side."

"Right, Sir."

* * *

Edward's head was filled with a thunderstorm of a headache. He was tired and the back of his head hurt like hell.

But his arm was absolute torture. Ed opened his eyes, finding himself on his stomach, his arm tied behind his back by a rope tied around his waist. His automail arm was gone, as was his left leg.

Shit.

He was bare-chested and freezing. He was obviously somewhere inside the mines. The cold dirt and rock did nothing to help him keep his temperature up.

"Oh, look, you're awake!" His kidnapper crouched down before him. "Was afraid I'd hit your head a bit too hard for a second, I guess your noggin's not feeling so god right now?" He smiled malevolently at him. The man was in his late twenties, he had a bit more fat on his body than necessary and brown curls. He was wearing a green hoodie and did not look at all like he worked in the mines.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Oh, I guess I didn't say. It's Tobias Bell, you met my Ma earlier. Which reminds me…" He leaned forwards, pressing his hand down on Ed's bandaged arm, making him yell out. He leaned back. "That was for knocking her out."

"You bastard! What did you do to the Colonel?!"

"Exactly what I said I would. If he's smart he's got himself out of that hole and to the nearest house using alchemy. Blood is after all, quite effective to write with. But now I have presented myself, so who are you then, kid? I know you're called the Fullmetal Alchemist, but I would like to know your name."

Ed didn't really see any point in hiding his name. The only people that this man may hurt that could be connected with his name, were several towns away. "Edward Elric."

"Nice to meet you, Eddie, we're going to be business partners for a long time."

* * *

**Just a funny little author's note here at the end:**

**I'm writing this story on my iPhone, so it keeps suggesting words for me when I'm writing. So earlier when I was going to write "heavy woollen blanket, I forgot an "o" so it quite quickly suggested something entirely different which makes Tobias seem completely insane...**

**_"Roy sat there in his pit, cursing silently for the next five minutes straight, until the man threw down a heavy wolverine."_**

* * *

**Have a nice day everyone!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.**

**And thank you so much everyone for reading, favouriting, following and reviewing!**

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

"I'm not going to help you make gold!" Ed shouted.

"Well, you haven't really got a choice in that matter, Eddie."

"Don't call me that!"

"Don't see why not."

Ed glared up at him, the guy was smiling down at him.

"Now, Eddie, what I want you to do, is to replace my previous partner. As you might have seen, his work wasn't really up to scratch anyway, so maybe this is for the better. It's your fault that Michael got arrested, so I would only say it's fair. Equivalent Exchange."

"You bastard! This has nothing to do with Equivalent Exchange! You're creating riches out of nothing, claiming it for your own good!"

"Please don't call me that, Eddie. And haven't you seen the town? I'm giving some of the spoils to them as well! Alchemists work for the people, after all."

"You're just twisting it to fit your own actions! You can't just create things out of nothing!"

"I see you're just a one-minded brat. Such a shame. For you that is."

"So now you're gonna torture me, is that it?"

"Basically, yes. I see you're a rather quick one."

"Comes with being a prodigy."

"You're a cocky, little brat, aren't you?" Tobias lifted his head by his hair, looking him straight in the eye. "I have the perfect tool for convincing you to help me, you know."

Ed's eyes grew wide when Tobias pulled a syringe out of his pocket. He dropped Ed's hair, letting his head fall back to the ground. Ed watched as he carefully pulled off the cap and prepared the needle.

"You don't like stuff like this, do you? I can see it in your eyes. You're scared Eddie. And this little hallucinogen will create a living hell for you."

Then he plunged the needle deep into Ed's neck, making him wince as he slowly emptied the contents into his body.

"It usually starts working within ten minutes, but seeing as how you already miss two of your limbs, I'd say about five in your case." He pulled the syringe out.

"You bastard!"

"Let's move you somewhere more private in the meantime, I guess you don't really want to spill your deepest fears after all." He began dragging Ed by his bad arm, making him shout with pain. They kept going for about three minutes until they reached a part of the tunnel that was barely lit at all. Here Tobias dumped him to the floor. "Enjoy the next eight hours or so!" he shouted as he left Ed.

Almost immediately, he noticed a dreading pit form in his stomach. Something touched his shoulder, and Ed turned his head around, finding nothing there.

A warm hand touched his right cheek, and the familiar smell of Trisha Elric filled the air around him. Knowing what was to come, he wasn't going to turn his head towards it.

"Hello, Edward. You've grown into such a handsome boy. It's been a long time since I last saw you, my little man."

Ed wasn't going to answer it but god how much it sounded like her!

"Aren't you going to look at me, Ed? I want to see your face, my boy."

"You're not real."

"Yes, I am. Do you really want to hurt your mother in this way? Don't you want to see what you failed to create? Don't you want to see me one last time?"

"Stop it, you're not real and we both know it."

"If I wasn't real then how can I do this?" She lifted him up into her lap, keeping one hand on his back and one behind his head. His head was resting on her left shoulder. Ed closed his eyes, not wanting to look, not wanting to feel this embrace. "How can you say I'm not real? Tell me Ed."

"Because you're dead." Ed felt tears pressing at the corners of his eyes.

"Am I, Ed, am I really?"

"Yes, you are."

"I am. But then you made me again. Made me come back to life. Made everything so painful, didn't you?"

The voice became raspy, inhuman as she spoke, and the warm arms turned cold as he suddenly fell forwards and was trapped inside the monstrous ribcage of the thing they had created. The head turned up towards him, the neck clearly broken. He was unable to move and everywhere the thing was rasping, trying to breathe, not able to do so because Ed had failed her. She was in pain because of him.

"You don't want to hug Mommy when she's like this do you?" Two broken arms closed around him, and Ed couldn't help but scream.

* * *

Riza was done dropping the Colonel off at the hospital, and was driving in the direction of the mines. She would rather be doing this with the Colonel, but she had had to make a decision, and he was only half-conscious as she left him. She had packed five different guns with her, it should be enough. The only problem was that she would have to dig her way through the wall to get to the tunnel.

She parked the car, and went in the direction of the mines, gun held at the ready. She grabbed a shovel as she passed it, and she went inside the mine. After a few metres she saw the transmutation marks that the Colonel had talked about being there. They were barely visible, and if she hadn't known that they should be there, she would have passed them without giving them a second thought. She set to work, digging through the dirt, and after about an hour, she finally had a hole big enough to climb through.

She went through it, stumbling slightly as she landed on the other side. She felt her stomach clench as she realised that it was in fact an automail arm and leg, a hoodie and a sling that were lying on the ground. She raised her gun again, walking inside the tunnel. She stopped slightly as she came upon the walls covered with gold, and was slightly unnerved to see that there were flecks of blood on the ground.

She kept going, but was soon met by a strange sound. Then she recognised them as frightened sobs. She walked forwards, ready to shoot whoever it was that was making Edward Elric make those noises.

She found the room abandoned, though. Abandoned except for the bound, whimpering boy that was lying on the ground, obviously scared to death.

"No, Mom. I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he whispered. He was shivering violently.

Hawkeye kneeled down next to the shaking child. "Hey, Edward, what's wrong?" she asked softly, putting a hand on his back.

"NO! GET AWAY! PLEASE! I'M SORRY! I NEVER MEANT FOR IT TO HAPPEN!"

Hawkeye immediately retracted her hand, shaken by the reaction.

"I'M SORRY, MOM!"

"Edward, it's Riza Hawkeye," she tried gently.

"JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Edward wasn't seeing or hearing her at all, and she saw the red mark on his neck.

A hallucinogen.

She was just going to have to force him to get him out of here before the other alchemist returned. She untied his wrist, afraid of hurting his arm further. Then she gripped his right automail port, sitting him up, seeing why there had been flecks of blood along the ground. The boy had been dragged along the ground and most of his chest was bleeding, dirt and small stones stuck to the opened flesh.

She was definitely going to shoot the man who had done this.

"STOP IT! I JUST WANTED YOU BACK! PLEASE!"

He tried to get away from her, clearly seeing her as his tormentor. Riza suddenly understood that this was about the thing that the Elrics had created when they tried to bring their mother back. She went forwards, lifting the small child in her arms, trying to keep him from hurting himself more as he tried to beat her off.

She carried him all the way to the opening of the cave, grateful that the tunnel was abandoned. She managed to get him out through the hole and into the car. She ran back in order to fetch the automail, then she was back in the car and was driving the screaming boy back to the hospital, heart breaking with each terrified scream that he uttered.

Someone had just left him there to suffer, then gone off to do something else.

She felt her hand squeezing an invisible trigger at the thought.

* * *

**Sorry about the shorter chapter, but it just felt like a good place to end it...**


	9. Chapter 9

**So, after messing with Edward's head the way I did last chapter, I sort of had to leave him with some after effects, so this chapter is kind of parental. I hope you'll all enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist. (And Ed would have hit me repeatedly with his automail fist if I did...)**

**And thank you so incredibly much to all of you who are reading, reviewing, following and favouriting this story!**

* * *

**Chapter Nine **

Roy had been tense when Hawkeye had entered his room. He hadn't been able to sleep more than an hour after he'd been brought in. Her face was unreadable as ever to most people, but he knew her enough to know that she was upset.

"Did you find him?!"

"Yes, he's being examined and then he'll be brought here."

"What's wrong?"

"He's been given some sort of hallucinogen. He was absolutely terrified when I found him. I'm just worried that they won't be able to counteract it, Sir."

Roy felt his stomach clench. That kid had horrors in his past that no one should be forced to experience. What a hallucinogen could do to him, he didn't even want to think about. The kid could come back and be mentally broken by this, or he could have nightmares for a week and then go back to being as fine as he usually was. "What did he say?" Roy needed to know what could be expected when he came into the room.

"He kept shouting to his mother. I think he was seeing that thing that they created."

_Damn._

_This could be really bad._

_**And it's all your fault, Roy.**_

Roy was wide awake for the next two hours, then another bed was brought in with a heavily sedated Edward Elric lying under the covers.

"How is he?" Roy asked the doctor as he came in together with the kid.

"We managed to get an antidote, but the way that he was shrieking as he came in, the damage, if there is any, has probably already been done. You need to be prepared that there is a chance that he may experience some long term effects, we won't know until he wakes up. Other than that, he managed to rip the stitches on both his arm and in his side, so those had to be replaced, and we want to keep him in for observation for the next three days, which includes you too, Colonel Mustang."

"Then keep the fact that we're here quiet, we don't want to be attacked again by the criminal who did this." Roy's voice was stern, he still hadn't forgiven the hospital for letting the alchemist get in the last time.

Roy fell asleep after a while, only to wake up what felt like minutes later by the sunshine coming in through the windows. He shifted in his bed, only to cringe slightly as his leg reminded him of the injury from the day before.

The kid in the next bed shifted too, before he abruptly sat up in the bed, eyes searching wildly about the room. He had obviously been having a nightmare.

"Hey, Fu-Edward, how are you doing?" Roy asked cautiously.

The kid turned his head towards him, taking in his face with a surprised look upon his face. "C-Colonel?"

"Yes, listen, Ed, you're safe, you're at the hospital."

"I am? So it's over, right? I-it didn't kill me?"

Roy was getting nervous, but the kid seemed to just be disoriented.

"No, you're alive and you're safe."

The kid stared down at his chest under the loose hospital shirt. He seemed terrified for a moment.

"What's wrong?"

"Did… anything shove its arm through my chest?"

_What the hell has he been seeing?_

"No, you got some cuts and bruises all over your chest when you were dragged through the tunnel."

"Oh. So that was real… And everything in between then and now?"

"It was all the drug."

The kid sighed with relief, leaning back into his pillows.

"Then I know what's real now."

Roy had to say that he seemed okay, considering. The kid had been trapped in a nightmare for the last ten hours straight. Roy probably wouldn't have been doing much better if he was forced to relive the worst moments in Ishbal over and over again for that amount of time.

_And the fire is back in his eyes._

_But I am still going to burn that man to a crisp._

"Fullmetal, what happened?"

"I woke up in that tunnel and the alchemist, Tobias Bell, told me that we'd be business partners for a long time. When I said I wouldn't help him create gold, he plunged a needle into my neck and then he dragged me further down the tunnel and left me there."

"Are you okay?"

"My arm hurts like hell and my chest is itchy."

"That's not what I was talking about." Roy felt odd doing this, but right now it was his responsibility as this kid's CO to make sure that he wasn't going to be a mental wreck. He didn't really like talking about personal stuff like this, but a twelve-year-old shouldn't be forced to carry this stuff by himself. Hawkeye tactfully left the room.

"I'm fine, I don't wanna talk about it."

"Listen, no word of this has ever got to leave this room. We're alone. If you need to talk, then do it."

"Listen, bastard, I'm not gonna talk about it with you!"

"Then who? You're obviously not going to tell your brother, so who have you got?"

"No one, okay! I'm just going to carry this shit like I do everything else!"

"May I say that that sounds like probably the stupidest idea you've had? You've been mentally tortured for ten hours, seeing as how you've been dreaming this stuff afterwards. If you don't want me to order you to go to a psychiatrist, then talk." Roy spoke in a rather stricter tone than he would have liked to as he was trying to earn the kid's trust.

The truth was, Roy had plenty experience with needing to find someone to lean on. If he hadn't had Maes and Hawkeye, he'd probably be an alcoholic wreck by now. And really, right now it was strictly speaking his fault that the kid had been through this in the first place. Roy had brought him into the military, and Roy had been the one to be outwitted by that damn alchemist and therefore been unable to stop him from drugging Fullmetal and make him live through that hell.

The kid exploded. "Fine, you bastard! It was that thing that the transmutation created! Okay? It kept blaming me for killing Mom and how I had brought her so much pain and everything else that's my fault! It's not fun when you're stuck in its fucking ribcage and its arms are so broken and inhuman that when it tries to hug you, it can't! And that thing was my Mom! It kept speaking in her voice and there was blood everywhere, so there you have it! In the end it got so angry with me that it fucking stabbed its hand through my chest! That was what I was seeing ever since that fucking bastard plunged that damn needle in my neck! Are you happy now!?"

Roy didn't know what to say, he really didn't. No wonder he had been shrieking when he came in. The kid turned away, his face was red with anger and embarrassment. "So now you know, now leave me alone!" He slumped his head down on the pillow, making the back of his head the only thing Roy saw. The kid's covers were hardly on him and he was shivering slightly. Without his automail, he couldn't pull the covers over himself with his arm the way it was.

Roy sighed and pulled away his own covers. He limped heavily over to the bed, and sat down on the edge. He had been planning to do this standing up, but his leg was pulsating with pain.

"Go away," the kid growled.

"Listen, you're obviously cold, and you need help to pull these covers over you, right?"

He grunted in reply.

Roy pulled them over him, trying to be mindful of Fullmetal's arm. He sighed. "You know it's nothing to be embarrassed about, right?"

Another grunt.

Roy was inwardly panicking. What the hell was he supposed to say? The kid obviously wasn't fine after what he had been through, nobody would be. Most kids would have been crying by now, not burying their fear in anger.

_Why couldn't Hawkeye be the one to do this?_

_**Because you're the one who put him in this situation in the first place, Roy.**_

"I'm sorry, Fullmetal," he said after a while.

"What for?" the kid said, curiosity getting the better of him.

"For letting you get taken."

"That wasn't your fault," he mumbled.

"I'd say it was."

"Well, it wasn't. He was pointing a freaking gun at you."

"I dropped my guard and got stuck in a hole. You got to suffer for it, so I'm sorry."

"So you call a bullet to the leg a walk in the park?"

"I have to say what you went through sounds a hell of a lot worse."

"You do, huh?"

"Yes."

He grunted again.

Roy sighed. "If you need to talk about it, just ask, okay?"

Grunt.

Roy stood up and limped back into his own bed. He pulled the covers back over himself, picking up a book and began reading.

He didn't know what Fullmetal did to pass the time, because he didn't say a thing.

That was until he started thrashing in his bed and screaming for his mother to please get away from him. Roy quickly got over to the bed and sat down on the edge, facing the yelling child. He gripped his cheeks, not able to grab any shoulders, and began talking calmly to him. "Listen! Edward! It's not real! It's just a nightmare, just a nightmare."

The kid kept yelling and Roy began tapping the his cheek, trying to get some sort of reaction from him. "It's a nightmare, Edward! She's not real!"

Finally he began waking up, and Roy was soon looking at a severely frightened boy who had tears running down his cheeks as he sat there panting heavily.

Feeling slightly awkward but mostly guilty, Roy wiped the kid's tears away. Then he worked with his instincts and pulled the child into a hug and began rubbing his back, soothing him as he regained his usual way of breathing.

They sat like that for about five minutes, until Fullmetal spoke. "You think I'm just a stupid kid, don't you?"

"No, I don't. I think you're having a perfectly human reaction."

"If you tell this to anyone, I'm gonna find out whatever that hallucinogen was, and put it in your morning coffee."

Roy actually began chuckling a bit. He had no interest in letting anyone know about this either. People may think him a bit too soft. "Deal."

"Good, now get off."

Roy did as he was told, confident that the boy at least knew that Roy was there if he needed to talk at any point. It was odd, but Roy had been expecting that his relationship to Fullmetal would be different from the one he had with his other subordinates. He had after all brought a twelve-year-old orphan into the military. He was not going to become a father figure, but he was always there to listen if any of his subordinates needed to talk, and was glad to have added their newest team member to that list.

Roy limped back to his own bed and lay back down. Which was when the door suddenly slammed open, and the last person Roy wanted to see right now, stood in the doorway.

"There you two are!" Banks growled angrily.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.**

**And thank you to all reviewers, followers, favouriters and readers!**

* * *

**Chapter Ten**

Roy stared at Banks. He looked absolutely livid.

"How dare you two just go off on your own like that?! You think you can just leave the investigation?! We're a team by order of the Führer, you cannot just ignore that and go off on your own and bring in your own people!"

"I'm sorry, Sir, but as I was fearing for my subordinate's life, I couldn't go to the military for help. That is why I sent for my assistant."

"That may be, Mustang, but you still defied an order! And you fled with the one person that we could use to draw out the criminal! I won't have it! You and Elric will come with me tomorrow and then we're getting that criminal!"

"I was planning to use Lieutenant Hawkeye's assistance to capture the criminal on my own, Sir, and when he had been neutralised, I would have brought him in without endangering my subordinate's life any more than necessary."

"Well, obviously that plan failed! You're a disgrace to the military!" He stomped over to Roy and slapped his cheek hard. It stung, but Roy had to say that he had seen it coming the moment he saw the man in the doorway.

Banks then went over to Fullmetal's bed. "And you, Elric, are an egotistical brat that should never have been allowed inside the military! When your superior acted the way he did, you should have told him no!" He punched the kid hard in the face, making him wince because of the already sore skin from the last time.

"Doesn't that go against your own teachings, though?"

Roy felt a slight surge of panic the moment the kid had said it. That was one of the stupidest things he could have said, and he had done so in his slightly pissed off, cocky manner.

"How dare you, Elric?! I see I need to teach you a lesson in manners. Obviously Mustang's way wasn't good enough." As he said the last word, he grabbed the bandaged part of Fullmetal's arm, squeezing it hard and making the kid yell with pain.

Roy felt a fresh surge of anger.

"What do you say, Elric?!" Banks growled, squeezing even harder around the arm, making the kid shout out again.

Roy was about to stand up and hit the man, not caring about what it would mean for his career, when Hawkeye suddenly strode forwards and cocked her gun as she stood next to Banks. "Sir! Need I remind you that this is abuse of power and that you are torturing a child!"

Banks didn't let go and Fullmetal was grunting with pain, trying to maintain his dignity.

"What's your rank?" Banks asked, still glaring at the tortured kid who was doing all he could not to show how much he was hurting.

"First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye, Sir."

The man froze. "Lieutenant General Grumman's granddaughter?"

"Yes, Sir, and he will not let this go easily, so I suggest you remove your hand from Major Elric's arm before I make him demote you back to Sergeant!"

"Right, sorry."

Roy was grinning as the man let go of his subordinate's arm. He had never heard Hawkeye use her connection to General Grumman before, but he was enjoying every second. He had never thought that having the two of them in the same room would bring such glorious results. His pride in his Lieutenant rose even further, which he didn't think was possible before now.

Fullmetal nearly managed to hide his relief that the man had let go of his injured arm, and Roy was furious to see that the bandaging had been soaked through with blood.

"I'll be back here tomorrow at eight, and then the two of you will help me lure out that criminal!" Banks said as he stomped out of the room.

As soon as the man was gone, the kid winced.

"Are you alright, Edward?" Hawkeye asked.

"Yeah, thanks."

"No problem, I'll go get a nurse to come and take a look at your arm."

She left the room.

"I can see why she's your bodyguard, she could make a bear apologise for being hungry," Fullmetal said, grinning. "I'd say that it was worth the pain just to see his reaction." The kid was grimacing as another spike of pain shot through his arm. A drop of blood began trailing down to his elbow.

"I should have stopped him before he went that far against you," Roy said.

"Stop that being sorry crap again, there's no point. I don't blame you. In retrospect, I'm glad I actually got to dangle him upside down in front of the rest of the State Alchemists. I guess we've shown him that you don't mess with Team Mustang."

Roy smiled. He wasn't going to mention it, but the sound of "Team Mustang" was pretty great. He was also glad that the kid considered himself a part of said team.

"Do you really think that Banks will get demoted?" Fullmetal asked.

"When Hawkeye puts her mind to it, there's no way it won't happen. General Grumman's too powerful to be ignored, and no court will want to have it known that they let a man go free after trying to torture a child into obedience."

The nurse came in, and quite a lot of blood had run down to the kid's elbow without them noticing by now. It took a bit more than just a nurse to stop the bleeding, but they got there in the end.

Then came something that had scared Roy quite a bit as he had watched, which had been when the kid's automail had been reconnected. He had known that it was a painful thing, but what scared him, was the fact that he had seen colleagues scream as just one limb was reconnected, and the kid merely made a prolonged grunt as both limbs connected with their respective nerves. Roy had to say that he was both impressed and horrified.

And he couldn't help but blame himself slightly.

* * *

All too soon, it was 07.55 and Roy had to say that he was terrified that this would be the day where he would have to tell an eleven-year-old boy that he had got his big brother killed.

He couldn't let that happen.

He wasn't going to let him die.

_He's not going to die._

He helped the kid dress, and as he helped him pull on a red hoodie that Hawkeye had been kind enough to go out and buy, as well as new clothes for Roy, he spoke gravely to the boy. "Fullmetal, I need you to swear on something."

"What's up?"

"Swear to me that if you're in any position where you feel threatened or in danger because of Banks, that you are going to run. Do not stay and fight. Remember Alphonse, okay?"

"Of course I'll remember him, he's the reason I'm here in the first place!"

"Just swear that you'll run."

"Fine, I swear. You happy?"

"Yes."

The door slammed open at eight o'clock sharp, and there stood Banks. "So, let's get going."

"Where will we be going, Sir?" Mustang asked.

"First, Elric, I want you to do what you do best, strut around like you own the place. Then we'll move in when we spot our alchemist. I suggest we start at the mines."

They walked through town, Roy leaning on his crutch, his right hand free to snap at any moment. They didn't run into anything or anyone, and then they went to the mine. Fullmetal transmuted a door into the tunnel, and Roy and Banks followed him at a distance. Roy hated this. Banks made sure to keep Roy at the same distance away from Fullmetal as himself, which meant that there was a fifty/fifty chance that the kid would either be saved or killed.

* * *

Ed was slightly anxious, although he was mostly pissed at being back here in this damn tunnel. When he found his own blood drops on the floor near the transmuted gold, he was ready to beat the bastard to a pulp.

"HEY, TOBIAS! I'M BACK FOR ROUND TWO! YOU WANNA COME OUT?!"

There was no answer, nothing, and so Ed kept walking. As the walls around him widened, and he came into the part of the tunnel that Tobias had dragged him to, he couldn't help but see the thing that the failed transmutation had made, just lying there, but at least this time it wasn't calling to him. It was just in his mind's eye. There was no rasping voice, no smell of blood and decay. It was just a mockingly empty, poorly lit tunnel.

Ed grabbed a torch from the wall, walking further inside. He found more gold. Gold and-

"Hiya, Eddie! Back for more? Or have you reconsidered your answer?"

"Nah, I'm here to get my revenge on you."

"That's too bad, Eddie-boy. That truly is too bad. You know, you kind of made me get my hopes up."

Ed ran forwards, not minding the pain as he clapped his hands and transmuted his automail arm. Tobias had reacted at the same second, but he had calculated where Ed was going to be, and so Ed found himself crashing into a wall.

His automail blade had sunk into the earth, and the second it had taken him to get it unstuck, had also cost him a valuable moment to get away from the wall as it crumbled straight at him, giving him a jagged cut across his forehead. Spitting away the blood that had run into his mouth, Ed ran forwards at Tobias again, managing to get in a few good hits and then hit Tobias unconscious.

"FULLMETAL! GET OUT!" The Colonel suddenly shouted.

* * *

Roy had made a split second decision when he had seen Banks get ready to slam his tattooed hands to the ground probably to make the mine collapse. He had jumped on the bastard, making the pair of them fall to the ground, trying to hit the man who was doing his best to hit him too. When he finally had a stranglehold on him, he shouted.

"FULLMETAL! GET OUT!"

The man under him had given him a sadistic grin as he suddenly dropped his grip on Roy's arms and instead just slammed his hands to ground behind his head. Roy had immediately knocked him unconscious, but the damage had already been done. The walls ahead were crackling with alchemic energy. Roy ran towards Fullmetal who was running in his direction, but Roy knew the kid wasn't going to make it.

"COLONEL! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!" the kid screamed, which was the moment that the ceiling above them collapsed and Roy pulled him to the ground, shielding him with his body.

Next moment, everything went black.


	11. Chapter 11

**Here we are, chapter eleven!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist. (Only my manga box set which is one my most treasured possessions!)**

**And thank you so much to all the readers, reviewers, followers and favouriters!**

* * *

**Chapter Eleven**

Ed was in pain. That was basically all he knew at the moment.

That and that it was dark.

Pain and darkness.

Darkness and pain.

_Good times._

He tried to figure out the last thing that had happened before he found himself here.

There was the Colonel… And then the ceiling collapsed… And then the Colonel was shielding him… And then he was here.

_Aha_.

"Colonel?" he rasped.

Ed coughed.

No answer.

_That's not good._

Ed tried moving, but all he could really move was his head and… And that's it.

_That's not good either._

His arm hurt, that was sort of good, he guessed.

He tried moving his legs. That hurt. A lot.

_Am I bleeding?_

_Don't think so. Maybe my leg. My shin is hurting._

"Colonel? Colonel? COLONEL?!"

"Nnng."

"Colonel! How are you?"

"Mmm… Fu-Fullmetal?"

"Yeah! Are you injured?!"

"Give me a sec."

Ed guessed he was going through the same checklist that he had.

"I think I have an iron pole through my left side."

"You **think**?"

"Okay, I _have_ an iron pole in my stomach. What about you?"

"I can't move, I think my automail arm's crushed or pinned, don't know which, and something's wrong with my shin, and I think both legs are pinned. Can you get a light?"

"Wait a moment."

Mustang snapped his fingers, and suddenly the room lit up. Ed looked at him, and could see that he had various cuts and bruises and a -thankfully- _thin_ iron pole going straight through his abdomen. He was only about half a meter away from Ed, and Ed had to say, judging from their positions, if the Colonel hadn't shielded him, Ed would probably be lying there with that pole through his chest.

The light flicked out.

Ed wasn't worried, though. The Colonel's alchemy was based around adjusting the Oxygen in the air, and so having enough flames around him to spot a torch was enough. Two seconds later there was a second snap, and then the Colonel was sitting with a pained look on his face and a torch in his hand.

Which gave Ed an opportunity to look at his arm. It was indeed crushed. It was lying under a large rock.

What worried him, though, was the fact that his legs were pinned by a heavy wooden beam and the way that his leg was hurting, suggested that he had some sort of large spike in his shin.

"Uh, Colonel? I think there's some sort of large nail or spike in there…"

* * *

Roy cursed. The kid was right. Or nearly. What he couldn't see from where he was lying, was that his leg most likely had two metal spikes in a row stuck deep into his shin. At least judging by how the beam was looking from the top.

"Colonel, can you use alchemy to get this rock off my arm?"

Roy began drawing a transmutation circle into the dirt. After a minute, he pressed his hand to it, making a hand shoot out of the ground and push away the rock. The kid quickly sat up. "Colonel, can you get my arm out of the sling? This is going to hurt like hell, but I need to free my legs, and you really should be saving your energy right now."

Roy couldn't argue against that logic. He grunted in pain as he worked on removing the sling. He watched as the kid gingerly brought his arm over to the crushed automail one and then leant forwards and put his hand against the beam. It broke into three pieces, one small one over his shin, and two larger ones on either side. He shoved away the piece covering his left leg using the unfeeling automail to his advantage, and then he brought his hands together and made the wood covering his right leg into small cubes that fell to the ground on either side.

What was left did not look pleasant.

Two large nails were stuck far inside the leg. Both must be at least a centimetre in diameter, and they were sticking about six inches out of his leg.

"Crap," Fullmetal said simply.

_So between us we've got two working legs and two working arms. And Fullmetal's only got one leg left, but he can use his alchemy at least._

Roy had to say that the kid wasn't looking too good. He was obviously in pain and half his face was covered in blood due to a cut on his forehead. Adding the black eye, the nails in his leg, his arm, his side and the general scab-covered mess that was his chest, Roy had to conclude that he hadn't really managed to take very good care of the boy these last few days.

_But at least I saved his life, and that's something…_

Roy was glad to have succeeded in doing that. Chances were that if he hadn't shielded the kid when he did, Fullmetal would be lying here, bleeding out and alone.

Roy wasn't going to let that happen to any of his subordinates.

And especially not when it was his fault that the kid was in the military in the first place.

The problem still remained, however, that they didn't have a chance of getting out of this place on their own.

Which meant that all they could do was to try and keep each other alive for now.

Roy had to say that he was slightly unnerved about how calmly the kid was taking this.

_He's twelve for god's sakes! I should be dealing with a crying, screaming, panicking kid right now, not this!_

Roy wasn't going to fool himself with thoughts of "it's probably just shock or adrenaline."

No, the kid may only have been in the military for little over a month, but in many ways, he was already a hardened veteran…

Roy was noticing that the adrenaline in his own body had started to dissipate, which meant that the screaming pain coming from his abdomen was getting harder and harder to ignore. The kid, too, was gritting his teeth with pain.

Roy guessed that they would be able to get out of here within a few days. They couldn't really use alchemy to get out of here, it would probably just cause another collapse. No, they would have to survive this on their own.

Which meant that Roy was going to have to take care of a kid with only one working limb while he himself had been impaled with an iron pole.

Roy may have taken part in the survival camp that the military arranged once a year, but those didn't include potentially deadly injuries and large nails stuck in your subordinate's leg.

They had left Hawkeye at the hospital, Banks hadn't allowed her to join them. Roy had wanted to protest it, but then he had remembered that if they were building a case against Banks, it would be best that he followed the mission as best as possible from now on, so that the higher-ups wouldn't have a reason to discredit his testimony.

Now he was glad that Hawkeye had stayed behind. She would be worried when none of them returned within nightfall, and most likely she would find an unconscious Banks and soon be here with the military and rescue workers.

They were going to be safe.

Alphonse Elric was not going to be delivered a message that stated that his big brother was dead because of military incompetence.

Edward Elric was safe.

Or at least safe enough.

Or…

"Fullmetal? What did you do with Tobias?"

"I knocked him unconscious. I don't know if he's alive, though, with the cave-in you know."

"So we may have a rogue alchemist coming to attack us any moment?"

"I guess…" The kid brought his hands together again, transmuting a wall in order to at least give them some shelter in case of an attack.

"Can you remove the part of your trousers covering the wounds in your leg? We need to have a look at it."

Fullmetal once again brought his hands together, transmuting the lower part of his trouser leg so that it parted and fell to the ground in two neat flaps.

"Here, hold this so that I can have a look." Roy handed him the torch and then proceeded to drag himself over to the leg. It hurt a lot. A hell of a lot in fact.

Roy assessed the damage. The nails did indeed seem to be embedded deep into his leg. Roy had a sinking feeling as a theory formed in his mind. "Fullmetal, can you move your leg?"

The kid did as he was told, or tried to at least. The moment he tried moving it, he whimpered sharply, and Roy's suspicions were proven to be right. The nails had gone straight through his leg and were stuck in the ground.

Which means that if I want to move him, I need to free that leg first.

Also, there was a pool of blood that seemed to be forming under the leg.

"Fullmetal, can you use your alchemy to remove the parts that are sticking out under your leg?"

He did as Roy had said, so now came the worst part. Roy would have to turn the leg to its side, which meant that the kid would probably be in a lot of pain very quickly.

"Okay, I'm sorry, but this is going to hurt. I'm going to turn your leg a bit so that I can have a look at the underside."

"Okay, just go ahead."

The kid tensed and grunted loudly as the leg was turned.

Roy cursed. A lot of blood was streaming from the underside. The wounds were filled with dirt and would need to be cleaned in order to avoid infection.

Problem was, they didn't have anything to clean it with.

And it was bleeding very much.

And they didn't have any bandages either.

"It's not good, is it?" Fullmetal asked him.

"No. It's not. I'm going to have to cauterise it, otherwise you're probably going to either bleed out or get an infection."

"Which means that you're going to have to pull them out first, right?"

Roy nodded.

"Just do it."

The kid lay himself back down on the ground, and Roy set to work. He moved the leg again so that the nails were once again facing upwards.

He placed his left hand on the ankle, pushing the leg down. The kid yelped. Roy sighed and gripped the first of the nails..

"I'm sorry, Edward."

Then he pulled.


	12. Chapter 12

**Here we are, chapter twelve! **

**This one is also sort of parental, so I hope you'll enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.**

**And thank you to all readers, reviewers, followers and favouriters!**

* * *

**Chapter Twelve**

Roy didn't give a crap about the pain from his abdomen as he set to work. He wanted to get this done quickly, he couldn't care about himself right now!

Fullmetal couldn't help but yell as Roy began pulling the first nail out. It was harder than he had hoped it would be. He couldn't wear his gloves as he did this because the blood would render them useless, which meant that his sweaty palm didn't really help him in keeping a good grip.

Somehow, though, he managed to get it out of the kid's leg after a minute's hard work.

Roy felt sick, though. This was nothing short of torture for the kid, and Roy was doing it to him.

Now that the spike was gone, there was a lot more blood flowing, and Roy had to work quickly. He dried off his hand on his jacket, moving on to the next nail.

"You're doing great, Edward. Just one more."

And then you'll burn him, Roy…

The kid was yelling again, the second was of course worse, seeing as how the area was much more sensitive now.

"Halfway there."

The last ten seconds, Roy just kept apologising as the kid was clearly trying to keep away the tears as he shouted.

Then it was out and Fullmetal was just lying there, breathing heavily and whimpering occasionally.

But Roy wasn't done.

He dried off his hands on his shirt before he picked up his right ignition glove, sliding it over his now red hand.

Then he gripped the ankle again, turning the leg so that the back was visible. He held his fingers as close as he dared, then he snapped, sending a concentrated flame straight at the open wound.

The kid screamed.

Then Roy was done.

Only three more…

He hovered his hand about six inches further up the calf.

Then he snapped again.

Another scream, louder this time.

Roy could barely stop himself from throwing up by now. The sickening smell of burnt flesh was invading his nostrils. It was the same smell as back in Ishbal.

This was his subordinate, damn it! It wasn't supposed to be like this!

Roy somehow managed to get himself to turn the leg again, snapping his fingers over the third opening.

Once again the kid screamed.

Once again Roy fought down the urge to vomit.

One last snap.

The scream had kept going until now as it reached a higher pitch.

Then it was done and Roy turned away, vomiting up all of his stomach contents.

The scream died down after a minute. It was replaced by groans and grunts and wheezy breathing.

Roy turned back to the kid, throwing off the glove.

"It's done, we're done," Roy said, panting after the constant retching. It had been hell on his stomach wound and he knew there had been blood in the vomit as well. Roy lay down on his right side, facing the kid. "I'm sorry."

"What for?" Fullmetal croaked. "That's the second time today that you've saved my life."

How the hell aren't you angry? I basically tortured you for about four minutes straight!

"I'm sorry that I hurt you."

"Listen, I'm not saying that that was nice, but it was a hell of a lot better than the automail surgery."

"Still…"

"Ah, just shut up, you bastard. It's done."

"…"

"Done, Colonel."

Roy sighed. "You did good, kid."

Fullmetal gave him a weak smile. "You too." Then he shut his eyes, obviously fighting against another burst of pain. After a minute or so, the kid sat up, studying his leg. "Wow, that looks pretty bad."

"It is."

"So now we just wait for help, is that it?"

"Basically, yes."

"Great." He lay back down on his back.

Roy felt his stomach clench at how pronounced the croak was in the kid's voice was. Yet he was still able to be sarcastic. He scoffed.

"What is it?" Fullmetal asked.

"You're like a damn rabbit, did you know that?"

"How do you mean? And if this is a size joke…"

"No, rabbits try hiding their pain and injuries so hard that when you notice that something's wrong, it's almost too late."

"Oh. Well you seem pretty much the same, though."

"I guess I am. Which means I'm a Silver Fox."

"You're a what?"

"Don't you know your rabbit breeds, Fullmetal?"

"How the hell do you?!"

"Hughes has me read to his daughter. She's somehow reached a rabbit phase, although I think it's just Hughes who thinks it's beyond being furry animals that she'd like to pet. She's only six months, so all she does is point and smile."

Fullmetal smirked evilly back at him.

"That makes you sound like a real softie you know, the guys back at HQ would surely appreciate that…"

"And I hereby declare you a miniature lop! They can be pretty temperamental so it fits…."

"DON'T CALL ME A MINIATURE ANYTHING!"

"If you tell anyone anything about the rabbit thing, then I will nickname you Mini Lop from here on!"

"You bastard!"

"Do we have a deal?"

"Yes, you damn blackmailer."

"Good."

"The only rabbits I've known were the ones me and Al hunted during our alchemy training. That's my experience with those animals," the kid said after a five-minute silence.

"Why were you hunting rabbits?" Roy was confused, the kid seemed to be half-asleep.

"Our teacher left us for a month on an island."

"What?!"

Fullmetal looked sleepily over at him. "We learned the most important lesson in alchemy from it, and got to begin our physical training as well. Except for the point where we nearly died of hunger, it was a pretty effective way to learn."

Then the kid fell asleep.

Roy was shocked. What the hell?

* * *

_Ed was hunting rabbits on Yock Island. Al was beside him. They were running through bushes and trees, yelling, having sort of fun he guessed._

_Then suddenly things began moving around him. The trees were dying, the sky was turning purple, nothing looked right. Then suddenly everything turned black around him. He opened his eyes, finding himself back in Resembool. Ed ran out of his bedroom, running downstairs at Mom's shouts of "Dinner!"_

_He came into the kitchen, Al just behind him, and Ed ran into Mom's outstretched arms before she lifted him into the air, swinging him around once, making him laugh, then she put him down on the floor. "Go wash your hands now, Ed," she said smiling. Then Al came running and he too was swung around. Ed smiled and laughed as he ran for the bathroom and his little brother came after him soon enough._

_When he was done, Ed ran back to the kitchen, finding that they were having stew. He smiled widely at Mom, who came over to give him another hug. Ed stretched out his arms. Then she smiled and ran her hand through his chest._

_She held him close, Ed was gasping in pain, tears streaming down his cheeks. "M-Mom?"_

_"You killed me, Ed, didn't you? It's only fair that I get to kill you too, my boy."_

_"M-mom, please."_

_"No, Edward. This is what you did to me. This is the same way that you hurt me. You made believe in you, made me think you'd give me a second chance, but no. All I got to know was pain. You broke my heart, so-"_

_She ripped his heart out of his chest, showing it to him as she squeezed it in her hand. There was blood everywhere, Ed couldn't breathe, couldn't do anything, surely he was dead?_

"Edward!"

_She let him fall to the floor, watch as all his blood poured out of his chest._

"Edward!"

_"This is what you did to me, Edward."_

"Dammit! Wake up!"

_"M-Mom…"_

"EDWARD!"

Ed woke with a start. He was sitting up, his head leaning against Mustang's chest, the Colonel's arms were around him. He felt tears running down his cheeks. Then came a wave of pain from his arm, side and leg. He wasn't properly awake and whimpered. Loud. He was fucking crying into the bastard Colonel's chest!

_Damn!_

"Not one fucking word to anyone…" Ed said, trying to growl but it sort of broke into smaller pieces and sounded much more like sobbing than anything. "Not one fucking word."

"Alright." The man spoke with a much kinder voice than usual. "I guess it's the same as earlier?"

"Pretty much."

They didn't say anything else and when Ed finally managed to get himself to stop crying, they broke apart, not saying a word.

Ed lay back down, turning his red face away from the man.

Ed was absolutely mortified by this. This was the second time he had woken up from a nightmare to find himself being held by Mustang.

The good thing, though, was that the man seemed about as awkward about this as Ed did. That was at least a small comfort. Mustang wasn't trying to become a replacement father, and Ed didn't want one either.

Ed really wanted to deny that he had enjoyed being hugged, but he figured that it wasn't because it was the Colonel, but because it was a pair of warm, benevolent arms.

Right.

That's it.

Good.

Ed cursed Tobias Bell. Yes, Ed was used to having nightmares, but never as bad as this. Never as specific as this. This was all because of that damn drug. And it made him look like a fucking wimp.

"You know, I've talked to a lot of soldiers from Ishbal, and most of them don't have nightmares as bad as what you're going through," Mustang said from behind him. "You don't need to feel ashamed."

_Arg, damn him._

"I'm not ashamed."

"Yes you are."

"I'm not!"

"Just know that most of the soldiers I know wake up from having nightmares about bears and lions. Silly, stupid nightmares. Yours are neither." There was a sigh. "That's all I have to say."

Ed grunted, still embarrassed. Also because of the fact that the Colonel made him feel like a small child, just from knowing what Ed had nightmares about. Ed kept things close to his chest. Most of the things Ed dreamt, Al didn't even know.

And he hated how weak they made him feel because they actually hurt. They made him cry.

Ed wasn't a crier.

Especially not into the Colonel's shirt.

No.

He just wanted Al back right now.

* * *

**I just had to put in the bunny part. I recommend you all to search up the two breeds I mentioned. And I can confirm that mini lops can be very temperamental. Ours most certainly is.**

* * *

**Another thing I'd like to mention, is that this story is coming to an end soon, which means that I need some new ideas as this is basically how I spend my days as I'm on sick leave until school begins in August. So if you have any ideas for something or have a specific wish for a fic, please feel free to PM me or just leave it in the review section. **

**I'm only writing stuff that involves Ed and/or Roy and I'm not doing non-canon pairings or death!fics, but other than that, I would love if you guys would give me some ideas!**

**See you soon with the next chapter!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Here we are, the final chapter, and I'm sorry that it's a bit short.**

**I'm also sorry that I haven't posted since Sunday, but I've been busy for the last two days with doctor's appointments and similar, and haven't really been in the mood to create the ending that I wanted before now.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.**

**And thank you all so, so much for all your support! Thank you to all the readers, followers, favouriters and reviewers! You're the reason these stories happen!**

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen**

Roy was tired. He was hungry. He was cold. He was worried about the kid who was lying on the ground next to him. He didn't know how long they had been here. It had to be a few days, right? Their pocket watches were back at the hospital as they had forgotten to remove them from their old clothes. The two of them were shivering. Roy would usually have hugged the child to him to share the precious body heat that would have been helping to keep them alive. But he couldn't do that.

The iron pole sticking three inches out of his abdomen said so.

The small amount of wood that they had available, had already been spent, and so the last embers of the campfire Roy had built had died out a few hours ago.

Roy had managed to find another torch as the one they had used had died out sometime yesterday, but he guessed that they would run out of light during the next twelve hours.

_And then we're going to be left in total darkness._

When Roy had checked the kid yesterday, he'd found that the wound in his side had become infected, and so Roy had had to cauterise that one too.

He didn't want to admit it to the child next to him, but Roy was definitely living on borrowed time by now. He wasn't even sure that he was going to live to see it when the torch died out. He most certainly had internal bleeding. He had checked his abdomen as the kid had been sleeping yesterday. Judging by his sweating, while constantly shivering, Roy was afraid that he had had a fever for the last eight hours or so, which meant that the wound may have become infected as well. He was not going to be able to pull the pole out on his own, and neither was the kid. He wouldn't have the strength left either to cauterise the wound on his back. Also, pulling it out now would just cause further bleeding and kill him even sooner.

And then there was the kid's leg. There was obviously some bleeding inside it, and it was turning darker each day. Chances were that even if they got rescued, the leg would have to be chopped off.

Roy couldn't bring himself to tell the kid the news, but the chances of them surviving the next twelve hours were slim. For all Roy knew, they could both be in the early stages of Sepsis.

He couldn't just leave the kid in the dark about this, though.

He had begun calling him by his first name for about two days now. They weren't really CO and subordinate in this situation, but a grown man who was supposed to look after a child. They were both dying, he didn't care about the military now. He hadn't given up hope, but he still had to say that he wasn't as optimistic as he had been when they first woke up here.

Roy was angry. He had failed. He wasn't going to get to change this country. Alphonse Elric would be unable to get his body back and have to live without his only family. His team would probably be disbanded by the Führer. Edward Elric would have lost his life for nothing.

It was all such a damned waste!

The hours went by, and Roy kept looking at the sleeping child next to him. He was getting visibly paler. Roy was honestly wondering which one of them would die first. He couldn't decide properly. He did not want to see as the light flickered and died in those golden orbs. He felt cold just imagining it. But that was the selfish part of him talking. The other part, the largest part of him, wished that that would be the way it went, because then Ed wouldn't be left to die alone. He didn't want to let that be the last thing the child experienced.

Roy had only known the kid for a month, but he already knew that he cared about both him and his brother. If Roy had been in the fight with Banks again, he would still have made the same choice to save the kid. Otherwise he'd have been left to die all on his own.

Roy shifted himself over to the sleeping boy, leaning his head agains Roy's chest while putting an arm over the kid. "I'm not going to leave you behind," he told him.

Roy felt the sleepiness come over him soon after that, wondering slightly if any of them were ever going to wake up again.

Maybe this was best. Just going out the both of them, lying here in the peaceful clutches of sleep.

"I'm sorry, Edward. It seems I couldn't keep my promise after all. I let him kill you. I'm sorry."

* * *

Everything around Ed was white. Bright, bright white.

_Am I dead?_

Then he heard beeping. After a while he saw blurred shapes moving around.

After some time the shapes became recognisable as people moving about.

_I'm in a hospital?_

"C-Colonel?" Ed said in barely more than a whisper.

"I'm here, Fullmetal," a tired voice said to his right.

Ed slowly turned his head towards the sound. Yes. It was him. They actually survived. They were actually alive.

And so Ed fell asleep once again, smiling weakly to himself.

* * *

They had managed to save his leg. They were both going to be fine. And Banks was being court-martialled for trying to kill two of Amestris' State Alchemists, as well as Lieutenant Hawkeye when she had come to look for them. That would of course be after he was released from the hospital after a severe case of lead poisoning (Hawkeye-style). After all, she had been acting in self defence.

All in all, Roy was as happy as possible at the moment. He didn't even remember exactly how badly they had been doing when they had been brought in here three days ago. They would have to stay here for two weeks, but Roy didn't mind. They were actually alive.

When Roy had been able to tell Alphonse that his brother had briefly woken up, he had seen one of the greatest things ever to be witnessed by mankind.

Alphonse Elric had begun skipping.

The seven-feet tall suit of armour had been skipping across the hospital room in pure, childish joy.

And Hughes had caught it on camera.

Roy was going to get a copy of that and keep it in his office drawer for rainy days.

* * *

It was a month after that that Fullmetal was allowed to go back to work. And then he was only allowed to do office work. Which meant that Roy was going to assign him to help him with his paperwork. Which also meant that Roy had placed an extra desk inside his own office as there really wasn't enough space for the kid in the main office.

Besides, Roy really wanted to keep an eye on him until he was sure that he had made a full recovery.

And so, when the kid showed up in his usual red and black, the only thing that really spoke of their ordeal was the cane he was ordered to use for the next two weeks, as well as that his arm was still in a sling.

They had of course anticipated his return, and they had a large, festive banner saying "WELCOME BACK!"

Havoc had even thrown a handful of confetti and glitter at the boy, which he didn't really seem to appreciate that much, but at least he wasn't attacking the man.

They had cake and fun, which was all Roy had ordered that they'd do that day, which was one of the perks of being their boss. No, this was how it was supposed to be. Here they all were, doing what they did best, which was to look after each other.

Roy had to say he was proud of Team Mustang.

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**There you go! I hope you all enjoyed!**

**I'll be posting a new parental story soon, so if you enjoyed this, you're probably going to like that one too!**

**Thank you all for reading this!**


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